where do we go from here 10: Broken trust
by zantha19
Summary: Once again Aang askes for Toph's help on a mission from the earth king. like before Toph seems to have her own view on the mission. With a mole preventing Aang caring out his mission, he may have to look closely at the people around him.
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks for reading. I hope you will enjoy this story. Which is part ten in the whole twenty part story that I am rewriting. This is also the third of five new parts that I am adding to the original fifth-teem part story. That means that it may take me I little longer to up-date, as I have to write the chapters from scratch, and I am a slowly writer. Getting any feed back good or back always make me feel that I have to up-date sooner as there is at least someone reading. So if you like the story and want it up-dated faster, you know what to do. Thank again. **

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Toph sat her in her office at her earthbending academy. The academy was now half way through its third year in operation, and was doing well. The office was large, with a lot of selves covering most of the walls stacked high with scrolls. There was also a futon pushed up against the right wall. This was where Toph slept when she was staying at the academy. Her desk was not very larger, but looked smaller as it was always covered with scrolls of varying sizes. Behind her desk like in most offices was a window that looked out onto the hills that surrounded the academy.

She had a trade treaty, dealing with the shipment of meat, fruit and vegetables to the water tribes spread out in-front of her, when she felt her assistant walking towards her door. Rolling the scroll up, she waited to hear what was going on. Even when she was acting as a sifu, she still couldn't get away from her other jobs, in this case ambassador.

"Master Toph." Shan, Toph's assistant spoke as she closed the door behind her. This was very unlike her, she was normally very formal. "There is someone, a man here to see you. He says he knows you, but...he I think he has been in a fight his lip cut... I think he has been drinking. I did..."

"Let him in." Toph sat back in her chair. Her hands moved to rest on the table, as she started to pick at her nails. A silence feel over the room after that, she waited for Shan to leave, but when it was clear she wasn't going to she spoke again. "If he says he knows me, then I would like to talk to him."

"As you wish." With a slight bow and nod of her head Shan left, closing the door behind her.

While she let out a deep breath, Toph got to her feet and moved to stand in-front of her desk, leaning back onto it. She crossed her arms, and fixed her sightless gaze on the door in-front of her. Soon she felt two pairs of footsteps walking towards the office. One had felt a few minutes ago, the other she hadn't felt in almost half a year. Her hear started to race, as she franticly tried to think of an escape rout, but there was no time for that now. She would just have to face this head on. Just before they arrived at the door, she shook her head back, moving her hair from her face. Her hair had now grown to reach her waist.

The door was opened more slowly this time. Shan was in-front, guiding the visitor into the room. Once in she stepped back as he moved to the centre of the room. He was taller, slightly more muscular than she remembered him, but there was no mistaking his footsteps. "Aang."

They feel back into silence again after she spoke. Shan was to shocked to speak. The man in-front of her with matted brown hair, scruffy clothes, a cut lip and the smell on a tavern on him, was the avatar. "It's good to see you Toph." his voice sounded forced.

Toph quickly, having decided to act, pushed herself from the table and took a few steps to the centre of the room. "Shan can you get me some warm water, an old rag, antiseptic cream and dose he have more serious injures."

"No."

"That's all then." As she did before Shan left the room with a bow and a nod.

Aang had is eyes on Toph the whole time. He now moved to follow her over to sit on the futon. He had thought he would be anger with her, but he wasn't. Honestly though he wasn't to sure if that was really how he felt, or if it was the three pints of ale he had drunk the night before. "It is good to see you again." His voice was softer now. As he spoke he edged a little closer to her on the futon.

"What are you doing here, what happened to you. Have you been drinking." The questions tumbled from her. She didn't know which one she wanted an answer to first.

A smile now creped across Aang's face. "Which one to you want me to answer first." Again he turned to get a better look at her. She kept her head down. Like she was looking at the floor. Her long hair feel over her shoulders, covering her face. Her intention for letting it grow out he guessed. He was close enough now for her to smell the ale on his breath. She let out a disappointed sigh and she lifted her head.

"The first one."

"What was that again." He saw her face curl into a frown. "I'm sorry, but you did ask a lot of questions."

"Aang." Her voice for the first time sounder stern.

He opened his mouth, but before he could get any words out, the door blew open, for the third time in also as many minutes. Shan had kicked the door open, as he had a bowl of warm water in one hand, and the cream and a rag in the other. Without a word she walked over to Toph handing her the bowl first, which she rested in-between her and Aang on the futon. She then handed her the rag. Placing the cream on the small table next to the futon, behind Toph she still without a word left the room.

"I came to see you." Toph was dipping the rag into the water. If she could see he would have thought she was avoiding looking at him. "And to ask for your help."

"Is drinking what led to the fight. I bet you didn't use any bending did you. Didn't want to hurt an non-bender. Or was it cause you couldn't use any bending because of the ale."

Aang wasn't sure why she was talking like this. It was like she hadn't been listening to him. As she started to figure it out a smile again crossed his face. "I was staying in the inn at the village next to here. They have a tavern attached, and I went there to eat."

"And drink."

"Not at first. My hair has grown in. no one knew I was the avatar. I could just be normal it was nice." Toph wanted to interrupt again, but she held back. She lifted her hand with the damp rag. To wipe away the blood on his lip. "A guy was talking about you." Toph's hand dropped to her side, not knowing what to say to that. "He was saying things about you...that you where a...I got angry and then this." He gestured with his hands to his ripped clothes and cut lip.

Dispute herself Toph couldn't hold back the laughter that took over her. As she bit her lip to stop laughing any more, she lifted her hand back to finish wiping his face of blood. "You got into a fight. Over me. To stand up for my honour." Behind her laughter and light voice, she was actually touched by this. In response Aang simply nodded his head. This reminded Toph of where her right hand was, and she moved to take it away. "Why am I doing this. You can do this yourself." She tried to laugh as she said this, but he didn't believe it.

Before she was able to pull her hand away from his face, Aang took hold of her wrist and pulled it back. "I want you to do it." He heard the words come out, but he felt like he had no control over them. This he would have to put down to the ale still in his system.

Toph with a little more force than she really intended, gave one last wipe at Aang's cut lip. She then pulled her hand away from Aang's gentle hold, turning to pick up the cream. Which she dipped the rag into, then rubbed it onto Aang's lip. "What do you need my help with."

Aang let out a sigh as he moved back to set further back onto the futon. It seemed that she had heard what he said. "The earth king's asked me to come to Ba Sing Sa, to help him with a secret matter of great importance. He asked me to bring you too."

He was telling the truth. She knew that much, but she was still not sure, there was something he wasn't saying. This all felt very familiar. "Did the earth kind really ask you to bring me along."

With his hands sliding along his legs to his knees, Aang moved his upper body forward so he could get a better look at Toph. "Yes."

Toph nodded her head once, them stood up. "Shan." She didn't have to raise her voice very high. She could feel Shan's heartbeat from her desk in the room next door. Once she entered the room again. She bowed to Toph and Aang. "Can you get me a razor and a fresh change of clothes for Aang." Before she had left Toph spoke again. "Thank you." Shan turned to look at Toph, giving her a smile. This let Aang know that despite the way Toph was acting, like a noble lady she was still friends with this other girl. Toph now turned to face Aang. "You are going to go back to looking like the avatar. If we are going to Ba Sing Sa."

Shan returned a few minutes later, while Aang was telling Toph about the route he planed to take to get them to Ba Sing Sa. He took the clothes and razor, and was told he could go and change in the boys dorm. Shan waited till he left before turning to face Toph. Who was standing behind her desk leaning on it with her hands placed on the cold wood. "What are you..."

"Don't send him the message. There's no need to now. I'm going to Ba Sing Sa myself, I'll talk to him personally." Her face curled into a grin. One more harsh than she would normally ware.

Shan moved towards the desk. "Are you sure that's going to be safe."

Toph pulled herself up to her full hight. Which was a little shorted than Shan, who was three yeas older than Toph herself.

"No, it's not going to be safe, but I can handle it. In fact I'm looking forward to a little action."

Being the older one, Shan worried about Toph. There was nothing she could say though. She thought of Toph as a friend, and in way they maybe were, but she knew there was only a small group of people that Toph really carried about and called friends. One of those people walked through the door a few second later. He looked more like she imagined the avatar would look like now. Tall, strong, handsome and with his tattoo's showing proudly.

"Are you ready to go." Aang didn't fully enter the room. He waited by the door.

Toph moved in-front of the door. Picking up the pack of cloths and supply she always had hidden under her desk in cause she ever just wanted to take off, as she did. "Yeah. I'll met you outside in a minute. I have to organise the teaching rota with Shan first." Aang nodded and left. Appa and Momo were currently resting a mile from the village so they would have to walk a little first.

As she crossed the Room to leave, Toph gave one last order, in a low voice so as not to heard. "Stop that message before it gets sent, and don't have any contact with him. I don't want to there to be any suspicion on me."

Without out faltering at all Toph left the room. Shan left her breath finally come back to her. She knew what Toph was doing was the right thing, or at least Toph believed it to be, but she was still worried. The avatar and the earth king might not see it that way. She might even be going to Ba Sing Sa to get involved with something she was already involved in. she would have to play both sides. She would have to lie to a close friend, and someone that put a lot of trust in her, for her principles. As determined as Toph was, that was still going to be hard for her.

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**I hope that was interesting. What is going on will be explained will be told in the next chapter. It also not for sure that Toph is going to have to play both sides, that she is the mole at all. It could be someone else. **


	2. Chapter 2

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**Thank you for reading, and for the reviews please keep reviewing. I really love to know what people think of the story. As promised this chapter will explain what is going on. What Aang's mission is. It won't explain everything though, were would the fun be if it was all spelled out so soon. **

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The hot summer sun made the short journey to Ba Sing Sa very uncomfortable. Toph was oddly quite for most of the trip. Aang would glance round at her ever now and again, she always seemed to be looking off into the distance. She clearly had something on her mind. He guessed it was to do with the way they had left things the last time they saw each other. He had been mad at her at first, but after a while he got over it. He realised that she was right. That they were probably not, meant to spend long periods of time together, they were just to different. If they had kept travelling together they would have ended up killing each other by now. Well she would have killed him that was for sure.

Once the landed in the grounds of the palace, Appa was taken away to rest in the staples. Aang and Toph made their way to see the earth king in his throne room. As they neared the throne room, Aang noticed Toph tying her long hair into a lose braid that feel over her right shoulder. She then ran her hands over her robe, getting rid of the dirt from the journey. A faint laugh escaped his mouth at this. It was so unlike her to care what she looked like. She was also not a big fan of the earth king, so why would she want to look nice for him. At his laugh her head shout up to face him. He quickly moved to the door so she could say anything.

The huge decorated doors opened in-front of them. At the far end of the room was the earth king on his throne. On his left he had his advisor, who was now moving to stand from his set, folding up the scroll he had opened in-front of him and bowing to the new arrivals, all at the same time. Aang gave him a gentle nod of acknowledgement, before turning back to the earth king. "Your majesty." This time he bowed to the person he was addressing.

"Avatar Aang." The earth kings eyes now drifted over to Toph. Who stood by Aang's side. "General."

"Your majesty." Like Aang Toph bowed to the king. Aang had never seen her really bow to anyone before. Aunt Wu was right it didn't suite her at all.

"I'm glad you have both come. There is a matter of great importance we have to discuss."

Aang had kept his eyes on Toph while the earth king spoke. He saw her let out a sigh, like she knew this was coming and had planned what she was about to say. "I have done my best. I don't have the time to devote to catching the jade bandit." The King moved to stand ready for a comeback, he didn't get the chance. "That doesn't mean I won't catch them, I will. This time you have my word."

"Your word, general..." His face feel to the ground, as he fell back into the throne. "Is still good, to a number of people...myself included. I can only give you this one last chance though."

"Yes your majesty." Toph turned to walk away. She made it a few steps away before she was stopped.

Aang had been trying to take in what was going on, but was having no luck making any sense of it at all. He like most people had heard of the jade bandit. They where a thief for heir. They would steal from the wealthy on behalf of the poor, or for the wealthy against the wealthy to settle disputes. This had started just before Aang returned and he had tried to keep informed of any developments. He would like to met this person. While he could see the reasoning of some of their actions, he couldn't forget that it was theft. It made sense that the earth king would have Toph deal with a situation like this. While she was a general, from what he has seen and knew of the work she did for the earth king most of it was covert, secret work.

"Wait. Are you going to tell me what is going on." His eyes darted back and forth between Toph and the earth king, waiting for either of them to say something.

The earth king leaned forward on his throne, as Toph slowly turned round to face the two men again. "The general has been tracking the jade bandit for the past three years or so. She has failed to so thus far. Lord Heng passed away four days ago. In his possession was a rare emerald. That was to be passed down to his heir after his death."

"He didn't have an heir though." Toph's voice was still a little unsure of its self. "So he put in his will that it was to be broken into pieces and a piece was to given to every person that lived in the village he lived next to. The village was taken over by the fire nation during the war, they suffered more than any one else in the earth kingdom during the war." She took a pause as she felt Aang's heart as she talked about the war. No matter that he had won, he would always feel guilt for not stopping it sooner.

The earth king took her pause as a chance to finish the rest. "A great niece had been found. She clams the emerald is hers by right. However before she could retrieve it, it was stolen."

"By the jade bandit."

"We don't know that for sure. It seems the most likely though." Toph seemed to find her voice again. Aang knew she wouldn't agree with any of this. She knew that is was lord Heng's choice to do what he wanted with his property, this great niece had no right to the emerald. He saw her clenching her hand while the earth king spoke. He knew she was about to speck her mind, stand up to him. The more he thought about it all, the more he found it odd that she was so willing to catch the jade bandit. They seemed like the kind of person she would like. This whole thing was making less sense than it had at the start.

"Whoever it is, they have to be found and the stolen emerald returned to its rightful owner." Aang looked at Toph as the king spoke, she was clearly trying to stop herself from saying or doing anything. Once he stopped talking she gave a nod and fasted this time turned to leave. He quickly followed after her. Not nodding or bowing to the earth king. Once out of the throne room Toph speed up even more, probably making her way to her room here. Before he lost sight of her as she turned a corner, he ran after her, pulling her back to him with a hold on her wrist. As she was pulled back, she almost lost her foot, but caught it in time.

"What it going on. You were so...subservient. That's not like you. It was like he had you under his thump."

"He's the king, my king."

"When has that ever mattered to you. You don't give a damn about status, titles."

Toph ripped her wrist from Aang's lose hold, and moved a little closer so he could here what she said. As she now whispered. "You have to pick your battles. This isn't a battle I can win."

before he could think of a comeback she was walking away again. He let her go, as he fell to lean onto the wall at his side. There was more to this than she was telling him. Toph would never admit that she had lost, or couldn't do something. She would go ahead anyway, even if she knew she didn't have a chance of winning, she went on anyway. That was one of the things he admired about her the most, it was also the thing that scared him the most about her. He knew there would be one time, when she would be unable to bluff her way out of trouble.

Like Toph Aang then went to his room in the palace. He wasn't sure what their next move would be in finding the emerald and catching the jade bandit, if the two were linked that was. He assumed they would talk about it more after breakfast the next morning. They had arrived late and missed dinner. The king had a small meal brought to their rooms a little before sunset. Aang was now lying on his bed, Momo was curled up on his stomach sleeping. His head was tilted to look out the window at the night sky. The night was not yet completely dark, but some stars had started to shine out. The city had a glow at this time of evening, epically in the summer. The air was warm, with a cool breeze. He didn't have to get up and look out of the window to now that there would be people still walking the streets. Enjoying the warm summers evening. At times like this he would let his mind wonder to the life's of the people he was watching, or knew where they. Close by. Where they couples out on a romantic walk. Children enjoying the freedom of staying out late. Old couples sitting and on their porch and watching the world going by. Friends walking and talking. All with hopes and dreams, yet to be achieved or already achieved. Pasts and futures, varying in lengths.

Hie eyes slowly closed as his mind continued to wonder in their thoughts. Just before he drifted off to sleep, he heard a faint knocking at his door. However it was they didn't give him the chance to say they could come in. the door opened, as he jumped off the bed, almost knocking Momo to the ground if he hadn't been awake already. When he was on his feet, his eyes travelled from the floor at his feet to the person now standing before him.

"We should get to work now. I know where we can get some information on the jade bandit." Toph had changed from the travelling clothes she had worn earlier and was now wearing a long thing tunic with no sleeves, and trousers underneath. Her hair had also been pinned up into a lose bun slightly to the right side of her face. When he looked closer he noticed the bun was made of the braid she had done earlier, just wound round into the bun. He also noticed she had on a little make up. He had never known her to ware make up very often. He was now more confused by what was going on then he had been before. Why was Toph all dresses up. "Are you coming or not."

It was at this point that he realised he had gotten caught up in his own thought again trying to make sense of all of this. "Yeah." he moved to follow her as she turned to leave the room. Momo ran over the bed to climb onto her shoulder. Toph felt this and turned to him, knelled down to pat him then got up and walked away. Aang was also a little surprised by this, Momo was like her, he never took orders well. When he caught up with her, he became very aware of the difference between the way they were dresses. He was still in the same robe he had worn all day. "Should I change too...where is it we've going anyway."

"Your fine as you are. We've going to the best place to get information in Ba Sing Sa. No one or thing can go in or out of the city, without it being known at this place."

They were now on the lower floor of the place, walking towards one of the side doors. "Isn't it somewhere in the palace. I thought the central..."

"The palace only sees what it wants to see of the city. We are going to the real centre of information, power in Ba Sing Sa." Aang was getting a little worried. A crazy idea came to him. Maybe Toph was the jade bandit, that would explain why she let the earth king order her around, she had a bigger plan at hand. That was stupid of course, she couldn't be the jade bandit. She had been at her academy at the time the emerald was stolen, and she would have at least told him.

"So where's that."

A sly grin sped across her face. Aang didn't see it, as they had now passed through the side door and stepped out into the dark night, her face now only lit by the moon. "The broken sward inn, in the outer circle of the city."

She now walked a little faster. Hoping to get there as soon as possible, so he didn't have the chance to ask her any more questions. Her hand went to her right side, making sure her silver dagger was still there, attached to her belt. She hoped Aang hadn't noticed that, that would just lead to more questions.

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**Again, thank you for reading. I hope the story is more interesting now, and makes more sense. When I'm writing a part of the story there are a few parts that I am writing towards. The next part is one, so you have a picture in your head about the way it will look. I love clothes so I have always have a idea about what the characters are wearing. While maybe just Toph. As I am sure you have realised by now that she is kind of the main character in the story. I am trying to make sure that all the other characters not get left out, but it hard. I hope that that don't ruin the story for any of you, if so please say and I'll work on it. Back to the point, I have an idea of what the next chapter will look like, part of the is the outfit that Toph is now wearing. I would take time to describe it, but I am not very good at that and I worry it would ruin the story to do that. So I have a like to what the outfit is like, if you like please have a look. **

**I would like to ask now if this idea of posting links to pictures of outfits that I imaging the characters wearing, or is it a wast of time. Please let me now. There are a few outfits in this part I would like to describe, but I would worry I would do that well/ so I would like to know if it worth it to post links to pictures of them. Thanks. **

**Here is the link. Imagine it a little more green then blue. **

/2009/aya-ueto-aodai/

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Toph's dagger is something that has been used a lot. So I thought since I maybe starting to post links to what the cloths look like I should do the same with an object that is used so much so here is a little to what the dagger looks like.

.com/Engraved%20Silver%20boot%20Knife%

**and this is the toph's mothers necklace**

/images/Jewelry/JFB850%20Round%20Lotus%

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hope the links work. what do you think, are the dagger and necklace like you though they would be.

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	3. Chapter 3

After I added the last chapter I cheeked and the links for the knife and necklace didn't work. So here are directions to find the pictures, if you want to.

for the necklace, go to and search for round lotus flower.

for the dagger, go to and search for athame engraved silver boot knife. it should be the first item listed, and cost $6.10

i these help.


	4. Chapter 4

**Like always thank you for reading. I hope you like it. Also like always I have not really had a response to the last chapter, so I will just have to take that to mean that adding links to pictures of outfits and other important objects, is ok. No one hates that idea. **

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Aang had never been to the outer ring of the city before. Sure he had flown over it on Appa or on his guilder, but he had never walked the streets before. He had heard the earth king and other nobles talking about it on a few occasions. Now he was walking through it, he realised they had been overreacting. There was nothing about this area of the city that stood out as being any different from any of the villages he had travelled through. Though the people he had heard talking about this area were not the kind of people he would expect to see in a village at all. They lived in a different world. The more he thought about the place he was now, and were he had come from, the huge difference hit him.

Toph had silently been leading him through the narrow streets. She now turned into a small side street, followed by Aang. Hanging from the wall on the right side Aang saw the sign for the broken sword inn. The sign it's self looked broken, like it was about to fall. Hitting any unfortunate person that happened to be standing under it on the head. Toph was the first to enter the inn, walking under the lose sign. Aang had a urge to push her through the door, so she wouldn't get hit by the sign. That he was now very sure was going to fall any second. He never had the change to act on this urge, as she quickly made it through the door. Now it was his turn. Glancing left to right, to make sure no one saw him, he darted under the sign and through the door. He knocked into Toph's back as he pushed his way into the inn. Toph was able to keep her balance, stopping Aang from falling over as well.

His eyes now lifted up from the ground at his feet to take in the inn. It was different from the one he had last been in. It was crowed to the point were everybody was having to stand shoulder to shoulder. Of the three large tables that where scattered around the inn, there was no space on any of them. They were covered with empty to full pints of ale. One of the tables also had a sleeping body sprawled across it. His eyes feel on Toph, she looked so out of place here. Then again, so did he. The men looked about twice as tall and twice as big as him, and at least three times more so than Toph. Like she had done the since they left the palace, she lead the way towards the bar. She had to pushed her way through all the men, as she did Aang followed close behind her.

Once they reached the bar, she leaned across it, getting the bartenders attention. "Two of my usual." The bartender gave her a nod and turned to pour two small shot glasses with a dark green liquid. Aang kept his eyes of the glasses as they were placed on the bar in-front of them. "Put it on my tap." He finally lifted his eyes to look at Toph.

Everything that had happened since he arrived in Ba Sing Sa had made very little sense to him. Now it seemed to be making even less sense. Not only had Toph been here before and drank here, but she had done so enough that she had a usual and a tap. He was feeling the need for a drink now. He reached out for the glass, but Toph took hold of his wrist pulling his hand away. She slipped a small bottle into his hand "Take a small drink from that first." She never turned to face him as she spoke. He guessed she was trying not to attract any attention to what she was doing. As quickly and subtly as he could he took a drink from the bottle. The liquid didn't have any real taste to it. Toph subtly took the bottle from him and drank from it herself. "Take the shot now." Toph drank first, slamming the glass back on to the bar. Aang did the same. The alcohol slid down his throat. It didn't have the same burning feeling that it normally did. It was like his throat had been coated by a protective layer. That he guessed was the work of the drink Toph had given him.

He noticed Toph's face fall into a frown, as she let out a sigh. "You ok."

"Yeah, fine. I have to go and talk to someone." she moved to walk away, but he caught her arm.

"Who, what are you..."

"Someone that can give us the information we came here for. I won't be long."

His hand dropped to his side, letting her go. He turned to face the bar as she walked away. As he leaned onto the bar, he caught the attention of the bartender. "Same again." Aang nodded.

As she was much shorter than everyone else in the inn, Toph was able to duck under most of the men she walked pastes arms. Enabling her to make her way quickly across the inn the the door at the other end of the room. The door was covered in part by a deep brown curtain. Taking in a deep breath, she went through the door without knocking.

The room on the other side of the door was about less than half the size of the one she had just come from. It was also much quieter, all the noise from the bar was drowned out. In the centre of the room was a large table. Surrounding the table were five men, who had been playing cards before Toph entered. Their eyes run over Toph before she took a step further into the room. "I have a message for Changpu." She tried to hold herself with as much confidence and authority as she could, but her uncomfortability with the way she felt them looking at her made her come across as a frighted little girl.

The man sitting on the far right of the table got to his feet. His eyes ran over Toph again as he slowly walked towards her. She knew he expected her to step back, that way he would have her backed up against the way. She stood her ground, not backing down. She felt his eyes burning on her. Disgust welled up in her stomach. She had expected this kind of thing, that was why she wore what she was wearing. She wanted to be as less intimidating as possible. These kinds of looks she had had before, but she would never get used to them.

When he finally reached her, standing right in-front of her, he lifted his right hand. Placing it under her chin he lifted her face up to look at him. He noticed her eyes looking in the opposite direction from him, as he walked over to her. He wanted to make her look at him, and get a better look at her face at the same time. When he looked her in the eyes he realised that she must be blind. "What is the message, beautiful."

"They say to kept hold of it for now. They'll get in touch with you themselves soon to pick it up."

"Who is this they, your talking about." His face leaned in towards her. The alcohol on his breath, caused her to pull back.

"You know. Or do I have to spell it out for you. Is it the alcohol or are you just a simple minded moron." She knew she shouldn't bite back when he was trying to whined her up. She just couldn't help it. She had played the obedient little helper to Aang and the earth king for that past two days, she was so sick of it. She had to kept the pretence up with them, but she didn't have to in-front of Changpu.

Blind rage swept across Changpu's face. If there was one thing he couldn't stand it was being made to look like a idiot, especially not by a little girl. His hand shot up, grabbing Toph by the neck. He shoved her back onto the wall next to the door.

Pain shot through her head, the force had knocked her bun lose, causing the braid to fall over her shoulder. Her hands automatic shot up to grab hold off Changpu's hand on her neck. A look of pure horror crossed her face, as she tried with all her strength to pull his hand off her neck. "No one talks to me like that, you understand." Toph didn't even try to answer. The horror washed away from her face and was replaced with pure rage. "I said do you understand." Like before she didn't make any response. Out of anger he squeezed her neck tighter. She let out a choked cough, but tried to fight it back. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting her.

Once again his eyes ravelled over her. As they did she tried again to get out of his hold. Her legs moved forward a little, revelling something he hadn't noticed before. She had a dagger attached to her belt on her right side. An evil grin spread across his face as he moved to take it. Toph noticed his movement and gave one last push to try and release herself before he took the dagger.

His hand was a mere two inches from the dagger, when it froze as a sudden pain shot up his arm. He let out a yell as his other hand dropped letting Toph go. The other four men finally got to there feet around the table. None of them coming any closer for fear of being hurt by what every was hurting Changpu.

Toph rubbed at her sore neck with her left hand. Her right had fallen to her side just before Changpu yelled out. With a truly evil grin and dead eyes Toph took in a breath, straightening herself to stand at her full height. Her right hand that had hang at her side, with all her fingers spread out, now lifted up, and her hand turned to the right. Changpu's arm now twisted almost right round, causing him to full to his knees and let out a louder yell.

"You would have been the third person to use that dagger against me. There was no way I was going to let it be third time lucky for someone like you."

All eyes where now on Toph. Her face only. She really hadn't wanted to use bonebending, but he had left her with very little choice. Her hear raced as the adrenaline rushed through her body. This was what worried her the most about bonebending, the rush that came with it. The feeling of such power. She worried there would be a time when she wouldn't be able to stop herself from going to far, and she would crush someone's heart with their ribs or break their neck.

"Do as the message says and I'll let you go." Changpu tried to nod or say something, but he couldn't get his body to do anything. "What do you say." The words came out through gritted teeth. He lifted his head to look her in the eyes. They weren't looking anywhere in particular. The closer he looked into them, the more dead and cold they looked. His whole body felt cold the more he looked at them. Toph felt him try to say something, so she let her hold on his arm go.

"Ok." His voice sounded hoarse and weak. It took her of guard. Her hands feel to her sides, letting him go. As quickly as she had entered she slipped out of the room.

Once on the other side of the door, she fell back against it as she got her breath back. No one on this side of the door paid any attention to her. They were to caught up in themselves to noticed the troubled girl, leaning against the door. When she trusted herself to keep a calm face when he asked her what she found out, she made her way back over to the bar to find Aang.

He was in the exact same place she had left him, leaning over the bar. When she was by his side, he didn't acknowledge her. She placed a hand on his arm to turn him to face her. His head spun round to look at the person next to him. His face light up a little to see her. "Toph, where have you been." She had to take a slight step back, his breath smelled strongly of alcohol.

"What have you done."

"I had a few drinks. That guy over there..." He was about to point the person that had bought him the drinks out, but Toph grabbed his arm and pulled it down.

"Twinkles, you idiot." rolling her eyes, she moved back over to him. "You can have to have a drink from the bottle I gave you before every drink you have. If you want to avoid ending up a drunk idiot." She slid her arm under his, wrapping his arm around her neck, to keep him on his feet. With all the strength she had she carried him away from the bar, towards the door. As the stepped out into the street, he stumbled banging his head against Toph's. The laughter that he had been forcing down finally cam out. "What are you laughing at. That hurt."

"You called me twinkles." Toph rolled her eyes again. "You haven't done that in along time." Toph didn't say anything, but she did let a small smile cross her face.

It took longer to get back to the palace, than it had to get away from it. Aang was not overly heavy, but Toph was not in the best frame of mind to be dealing with him now. At first his arm and been held a around her neck, but she let it fall to rest more on her shoulder. An eradication fear that he would some how be able to know what had just happened, by simply having his arm near her neck took over.

For most of the walk Aang talked about the rest of the gang. Before he came to see Toph he had made trips to see all of them. They were all doing well. Sokka and Suki were tired, but happy. Zuko and Katara caught up in the new chapter in their life. Missing each other when she had to return to the water tribe. He was very happy for all of them. He made this point very clear, he was happy for Zuko and Katara. Toph believed him in part, he was just trying to hard to be completely happy with it. He would get there though.

Her left hand that had been holding his right hand that hung over her shoulder, moved to cover his mouth as they entered the palace again through the side door. She didn't know how late it was, but she was sure the rest of the palace would be sleeping by now. Dragging him up the stares, the last part of the walk was by far the most difficult. On two separate occasions she really thought that he was going to fall over and take her with him, crashing down the stars.

Aang's room was the first on the floor, next to the stars, so once they reached their floor all she had to do was open the door and dragg in the five feet to the bed. Where she let him drop. She felt him about to say something, so she quickly left. She really needed to be alone right now. In a way she was glad that he was such an idiot, that couldn't hold his drink. If he wasn't then she would have had to talk to him about what happened in the back room. She knew full well what would happen if he had found out. Changpu would have had a lot more to deal with than a sprained wrist. He was the most gentle person she had ever none, but when one of the group was hurt, he was almost as bad as herself or Zuko when they where angry.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry but like chapter 3 this is not a chapter. As a gift a reader has created a page for this fanfic on tv tropes. The problem is that it is only a stub really. So I am asking for any one that is interested to follow the link here and edit the page. I really don't know how to and the person that set it hasn't answer any of my PM about it. It would be really cool to have a good page for the story.

I realise that my appeals for views on the story don't normally get answered, but I thought I would give it a try.

Here is the link. /FanFic/WhereDoWeGoFromHere

I would really love it if you would help me with this.


	6. Chapter 6

**If the link didn't work on the last chapter about the TV tropes page, then you can find it by searching TV tropes where do go from here in the google search engine. Thank so much if you are going to help with this. **

The sun started to stream in from the window. Aang didn't notice this, it would take a lot more than that to wake him up this morning. Lucky for him Toph had just quietly crept into his room, with a idea for waking the hungover airbender. She tip toed over to the bed, as not to make any noise. Once she was standing by the bed, looking down on Aang, if she could see, she let out a small laugh. Then lifted the jug of water she was carrying, pouring it over Aang.

The cold water sent Aang's body into shock. He jumped up and scrabbled to get out of the bed. Getting caught up in the sheets as he did. Toph took a step back away from the bed. She didn't want to be hit by Aang's flaring arms and legs. She had just moved back, when Aang caught in the sheets fell to the floor. Landing just at her feet. It took all of her self control to hold back the laughter that was fighting to get out. She ended up having to bite her lower lip, as the laughter started to escape.

When he was free from the sheet, Aang rolled over onto his back. He looked up to see Toph standing over him. She was wearing the something she had worn the night before, except she had rolled up the trousers to her knees. Her hair was also down, with a slight wave from being held in a braid for so long. He could tell that she was having a very hard time trying not to laugh. In a way he was glad about that. Slowly as not to fall over, he pulled himself up. Toph finally spoke with a grin on her face. "Get dressed. The earth king wants to see us." As suddenly as she has arrived she left. Leaving Aang to change and make his way to the throne room.

Toph was waiting for him out side the throne room when he arrived. She was leaning against the wall, with a odd look on her face. It was then that he realised that he didn't know what had happened last night. He had no idea if she had found out what she wanted or not. He would have asked her, but she didn't look like she was in the mood to talk. He would find out soon enough though. The earth king had probably asked to see them to get a report on their progress. Like the day before they entered the throne room and walked towards the king sitting on his throne. Aang's dislike for the earth king had only began after the war. Before that he had thought of him as a young man forced into a situation he knew nothing about, but was expected to know all the answers. He was a little like him. However he had taken to his new power in a time of peace very well. Unlike the day before Aang noticed the earth king didn't have his adviser by his side. Instead there where two men standing of either side of the throne. They wore long dark green robs. Little like the robs of the Dai li. Not so much so though that it would seem like they were the same.

"Avatar Aang. General Toph." He waited till they stood a little closer before he continued. "I trust you have made some progress."

There was nothing Aang could say, he had to leave this up to Toph. He glanced over at her. She looked like she was staring down the two men either side of the throne. As first he didn't understand why she would do that, if that was what she was doing. Then he remembered the name she had just been called, General. She must have played a part in training these men, at the very least worked with them at some point. Now she probably felt they were turning on her, siding with the king. That really didn't make much sense though. In this case to his surprise she and the king were on the same side.

"I'm afraid not. We were unable to get any real leads on the ware about of the jade bandit." Her head fell to face the floor while she spoke. Aang was darting his grey eyes between her and the king. He wondered who would be the first to crack. Let there true feeling of distrust and annoyance out.

"I see. While then I'm afraid too, that you have left me no choice. Guards."

Before either Toph or Aang could move, the two guards at either side of the throne raise their arms. Bending a pillar of earth behind the avatar and the general. Each pillar then sent of a stream of earth that pulled Toph and Aang back against it, holding them tightly. The guards then using the earth at their feet jumped into the air, landing between the pillars. The one closest to Toph pulled out a long chain, about four feet in length. At the end of the chain was a handcuff, which was fastened around Toph's right wrist. The other guard closer to Aang then picked up the chain. Aang didn't have to guess what was on the other end of the chain. Quickly before either of then could get free, the other handcuff was placed around Aang's left wrist. The guards then jumped back, out of the way before bring the earth pillars down. Freeing Aang and Toph, but not from each other.

"What do you think your doing." Despite the anger in her voice, Aang saw her fight very hard to remain in control. He moved to reach out a hand to pull her back, stop her from moving any closer to the king. As he did though he pulled on the chain, forcing her back, almost knocking her over.

The earth king tried to look as confident as he could, but if you looked close enough you could see the hesitance in his eyes. "I said that I would give you one more chance to catch the jade bandit. You have had that. I'm now taking charge. You and the avatar are to be chained together till they are caught, or the emerald is found. Which ever comes first."

"You can't do this..."

"Yes I can."

Aang felt her about to snap back and stepped in to stop her making things worse. This kind of back and forth argument was like a pair of children, not a king and general. "With all due respect, I really don't think this is the best way to deal with this." Like Toph, Aang was now trying to remain calm.

"Avatar, do you trust her."

"Yes. I trust her with my life. To always do what she believes is right." He glanced over at Toph as he spoke. She didn't show any sign of having really taken in what he was saying.

A grin now crossed the kings face. "She is not stubborn, reckless and opinionated. With a natural ability to act without thinking and getting herself in trouble."

Aang's mouth had opened to speak, but found that he couldn't. He was right, all the thing she said about her were right. There therefore was only one thing he could say. "I trust her with my life. To always do what she believes is right."

He didn't have to look at Toph to know she was rolling her eyes. He hoped she might see the funny side of it, but doubted it. He worried that he must have hurt her feelings. The earth king now had a smile on his face. He wasn't a bad natured person, but he did find the way things had worked out a little funny. "There is to be a banquet tonight. You two are to attend. The chains will be removed for that. They will be attached again tomorrow morning." The tone of his voice told them that he was done talking to them and they were now to leave.

Quickly before or he said or did something they would regret, Aang pulled on the chain. Dragging Toph with him as he left the throne room. Toph let him pull her out of the room, but he could feel a cold stare on his back. He pulled her so hard that just before they left the room, she lost her footing. Nearing falling, she had to reach out placing her free left hand on Aang's back to keep her up. Once outside the throne room, Aang moved faster. He tore off along the corridor and down the staircase. He didn't stop till they where in a corner of the main hall of the palace. There was no one around. The servants would all be in the kitchen or the large dinning hall getting ready for tonight.

While he had been trying to keep the situation in the throne room under control he realised that the earth king had forgotten about a very important flaw in his plan. "Bend the chain."

"What."

"Its metal. You can bend it, set us free." As he spoke he lifted his handcuffed left hand up in-front of her.

Toph seemed to look right passed this and right at him. "I'm not doing that."

"He forgot that you can metalbend..."

"Do you really think he forgot that."

"I don't know. I think so, it wouldn't surprice me. Just bend us out of this." While he spoke Aang moved his left arm around rather sharply. This in turn caused Toph's right arm to be pushed and pulled as well.

"Ahh, stop that. I've dislocated my shoulder before, I don't want it to happen again."

"You dislocated your shoulder, when"

"When I was helping Zuko find his mother. I fell off a mongoose lizard." Her free hand now went up to her shoulder. Her thump touched the dark bruise on her neck. Causing her to shoulder a little with the sudden pain. Her hand moved to cover her neck, lifting the collar of her robe to cover it more. If he had noticed it at all before this he had said nothing about it. This was a relief, she really didn't want to tell him about it. She was however a little hurt and she couldn't see why. "That's not important now. He thinks that I have something to so with the jade bandit and this emerald. I am not going to give him any more reason to think that. So we are going to do as we are told."

Toph started to walk away, put Aang pulled the chain, forcing her back. "Bend the chain!"

"No." Her voice was cold a steel.

He gave the chain other sharp pull. Toph was now knocked into his chest. Like the night before Toph was pushed to her limit. There was only so far she could be pushed by people that thought the could tell her what to do. Anger flashed across her face, as she kneed Aang in his most delicate area.

He tried to hold it back but he let out a soft yell of pain. He fell to his knees in-front of Toph. Like her anger flashed before his eyes. Her right knee that she had used to knee him with, was still slightly bent. He wrapped his left arm around it, pulling it closer to him. Knocking Toph over, she fell painfully onto her back.

Like Aang she held back the real yell of pain she wanted to yet out. She tried to pull herself up, but her leg was still being held by Aang. "You air head."

"You started it." Aang slipped his arm away from her leg, trying to pull himself up. He was the first one to get back on their feet. He was about to offer her a hand up, then he remembered the chain. Taking hold of it with both hands, he used it to pull her to her feet. This would have been a sigh of a truce, if the handcuff handed dug into her wrist more painfully. With a smug look of her face, Toph clenched her right hand, and punched Aang in the gut. He noticed this in time, and stepped back. Toph however stood on the same spot, so he pulled her forward again. This time he wasn't able to keep his balance, causing them both to fall over again.

Toph landed almost right on top of Aang. As fast as she could she pushed herself up, but fell backward a little. She ended up sitting on the floor at Aang's feet as he pushed himself up. "This is really ridicules." His voice came out through the extra breaths he was having to take. She nodded, her eyes drifting.

With more effort than the last time he got to his feet. He offered Toph his hand. She took it, but then took a tight hold of it. She then let herself fall back onto her back, raising her left leg up, so her foot was placed on Aang's stomach. He was thrown over her landing on the ground behind her. His feet lay next to her head., he tried to sit up. He hadn't expected her or himself to let themselves act this way and for so long.

He noticed Toph starting to sit up. She had banged her head hard on the floor as she had rolled back, so rubbed it once she was sitting. Seeing his chance, Aang pulled on the chain. Bringing Toph's right arm behind her back. He then pulled them to their feet, Toph still restrained. "Let me go."

"Will you stop this."

"Will you."

Toph reached across her chest with her left arm. She took hold of Aang's free right hand. They were at a stalemate. Aang needed his left hand to hold back Toph's right arm. She in turn needed her left hand to hold right arm. Both now took a minute to stop and think about what their next move would be. Toph was the first to move, ducking down she released the tension on her right arm. When she moved to stand again, Aang moved quickly turning her back round, and twisting her right arm, that he still had hold off around her neck.

Toph was now standing with her back pressed against Aang's chest. Her right arm pulled across her chest and over her shoulder. Her left hand was still also holding Aang's right wrist, like before they were in a stalemate again. "On the count of three." Aang's breath tickled her neck as he spoke. Reminding her of the bruise on her neck. For this and no other reason, she nodded agreeing the to truce. She pulled away as quickly as she could once she was free, hoping that he hadn't seen the bruise.

"What do we do now." Aang shock his shoulder, loosening it, as he spoke. He wasn't really looking at Toph.

Toph took a second to regain some composure before she answers his question. "We go to the library. The king has kept recorded about every insentient involving the jade bandit. We should look them over...well you should look them over. I just have to be dragged along with you."

"You hate this as much as I do, why don't you just break it. And why do I have to read up on it."

" For three reasons. One I already read them. Two you nearly just pulled my arm out of its socket, and three, I'm blind."

"You can read...

"I will not bend this chain, because like I said I don't want to give him any more reason to suspect me."

Not waiting for an response, Toph turned and started to walk towards the library. Aang was pulled along behind her, till he picked up his speed so they walked side by side. They look ridicules enough with him feeling like he was being dragged along behind her.

**Thank fro reading. The fight and the whole being chained together was an idea I got from death note. If you haven't you should watch the fight between l and light, when they are chained together. The idea for the fight was based on that but I thought that Toph and Aang both know how to fight, so they wouldn't end up hurting themselves when the hot the other person like in death note. Although would maybe have been more fun. Please review and let me know what you think. **


	7. Chapter 7

**In keeping with what I asked about before, if you would like links to outfits of items that I am using in the fic. No one said anything about it, so I will keep going with it. That in mind here is the link to the outfit that Toph will be wearing to the banquet.**

**Http:/ browse. Deviantly /?q=top%20zuko% 20older&order=9 & offset=48#/ d1jjnkt**

**for it to work, copy and paste it, then take away the spaces that I put in so the link will come up in full. **

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Aang pushed the sixth scroll he had read away from him as he gave up on it. This particular one was a record of all the suspected sightings of the jade bandit. One thing was made very clear to him, the jade bandit defiantly got around a lot. There were a few times when it seemed like they had been in nearly the same place at nearly the same time as each other. The first report he had read was a detailed account about what the jade bandit was meant to wear. Images of the blue sprite cam to his mind. He had expected the jade bandit to look almost a cross between Toph, because of the bandit part and a mask like Zuko wore as the blur spirit. Turned out he was worn.

As he straightened his arms out in-front of him he saw the chain and was reminded of his current situation. Toph hadn't said a word since they sat down at the large table in the centre of the library. He had forgotten she was even there. He followed the chain to look at her. She looked like she was about to fall asleep. Her breathe was slower and as his eyes lifted to look at her face, he saw that her eyes were closed. He had always wondered if she slept with her eyes open or closed. There were times when they had been travelling and he hadn't been able to sleep and he had wanted to look at her to find out, but he never did. Now he knew, she slept with closed eyes. While he looked at her, her head fell a little to the right closer to him. He worried she was about to wake up and see him looking at her. Then he remember she wouldn't see him looking at her.

He mentally kicked himself for forgetting she was blind again, he would never understand how he always seemed to forget this fact. Her head now fell move to her right. It was about to rest on Aang's Shoulder. His heart raced not knowing what to do. To wake her up or let her sleep on his shoulder. A large crashing sound filled the library, waking Toph. She shout up to a straight sitting position, as one of the guards that had chained them together walked towards the table. Aang was surprisingly happy to see him.

"Avatar Aang, Lady Toph. The king had sent me to unchain you, and tell the lady that the maids are ready to help her dress for the banquet." While he spoke he kept walking towards them. Once he reached them he had finished talking, so he simply unlocked the handcuffs on Toph then Aang. He rapped up the chain around his arm and moved to walk away, then turned back to them. "Your to met with the king tomorrow morning...to have the chain..."

"Yes we get it." This was the first time Aang had heard Toph's voice since their fight. It sounded just as angry. The guard stood rooted to the spot,not knowing really what to do. "You can go now"

She wasn't even trying to face him no, her face faced her lifted right arm, as she rubbed her wrist. Which Aang noticed was a little red. He guesses that was from when he helped her up by pulling the chain. Her voice had come out in a fake sweet tone this time. A tone he would hear a lot that night he bet.

After the guard had bowed and left, Toph too got up and left. Without saying a word. Aang let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back in his chair. He place his now free hands on the back of his head and closed his eyes. Enjoying being on his own in silence for a little while, before he too left to dress for the banquet.

The main hall of the palace was decorated with lard green drapes hung over the walls. A long table was placed against the far wall, opposite from the door to the dinning room, where the banquet would be held. The table was covered in small appetisers, and countless glasses of expensive wine. Aang had waited as long as he could before he went down. He hoped that by waiting till the room was almost fall no one would really notice him entering. He turned out to be right, no one gave him more than a casual glance when he entered. If that wasn't what he wanted, he may have been a little hurt. He found himself forced to pick up a glass of wine, by peer pressure. He was not going to drink it though, he would hold it a take a tiny sip every now and then so he looked like he was drinking it.

He naturally found himself almost hiding behind one of the large columns that surrounded the room on both sides. It was at this point that he started to look around the room at all the people. With only a handful of exceptions, he didn't know who any of these people where. It finally dawned on him now that he hadn't seem Toph yet. He looked closer at the crowd to find her. She was bound to know who at least some of these people were. When he was sure he couldn't see her, that she was probably not here yet, his eyes landed on the main door. Waiting for her to enter. A few minutes later he was spotted by a lord from the south, who trapped him in a boring conversation about his inheritance.

While in the middle of explaining to Aang about his plans for the money he would soon gain, the lord suddenly stopped talking. His eyes fixed on a particular object. Aang turned his head a little to see what he was staring at. It was Toph. At first he wasn't sure it was her, but the closer she got the more obvious it was. She was walking with a slight smirk that she shot to the men on either side of her as she walked past them. It was the same smirk, almost smile he remembered from the first time he saw her in the swamp. Also like in the vision in the swamp, her hair was pulled off her face into a bun. Her hair was also decorated with thin ribbons and a flower. Her dress was of a deep green with intricate detail woven into it. She wore a tight corset over the dress in a lighter green. The sleeves of the dress were white shear and hung off the shoulder, exposing them.

As she crossed the room in his direction she held her hands in-front of her. She looked to Aang and everyone else there to be every inch the noble lady. A smile almost crossed his lips and he realised how much she must be hating this. She was now a few steps away from him. He was planing out all the teasing he thought he could get away with before she reacted. The closer she got the less he wanted to teas her. When she was close enough to hear him fully, he opened his mouth to tell her that she looked pretty maybe even beautiful. Because it struck him that she really did look beautiful. Before he got any words out, she had walked right past him.

His first reaction was that she was doing this because she was still mad at him. Then he saw her walking right up to a man standing a little apart from the crowd with a drink in his hand. The man looked a little older than Toph and himself, maybe twenty-two or three. "Lucky guy." The lord Aang had been speaking to said behind him before he too left Aang to talk to someone else.

"Lord Toro. Its a plesure to see you here." Her voice came out sounding a little overly sweet. She choose not to care about what this response would be. If he noticed she said see and didn't say anything then she would normally be a little irritated, but she would let it go.

"Ambassador...General Toph. I'm sorry I'm not sure what to..."

"I think in this case Lady Toph would be the correct honorific...at least when I'm wearing a dress like th..."

"It looks, you look beautiful." Toph had opened her arms to show the dress off more as she spoke., but had quickly dropped them when he interrupted her.

"Thank you." She did her best to be facing him probably as she gave him a smile.

"She looks lovely doesn't she."

Aang turned to face the voice that was coming from behind him. A women about the same age as the man Toph was talking to was standing a few inches behind him. She was dressed in a dress a little like the one Toph was wearing, only in lighter colours. "Yeah." His face grimaced a little at the tone of his voice. It was a little too soft.

The girls face fell into a frown "She really has got you and him wrapped around her little finger." Aang looked over to were the girl was looking. Lord Toro had offered Toph a drink, which she politely declined. Then a waiter gave her one. "And every other man in here."

He looked around the room and saw a few women with a few men around then. They where all acting the same way that Toph was. Head lowered a little, with a straight back and moving there hands a little more than normal. This was so different from the Toph that he knew. He knew she would act polite and lady like tonight, but he never expected this. "She's not really like this."

"No she's worse. She acts like she is different, but when it comes down to it all she cares about is marry a man with money."

It was starting to feel like he was watching and talking about a different person. Toph had just placed her hand on Lord Toro's arm and left it there a little longer than she should have. While she gave a fake laugh, to what Aang could only guess was a joke made by Lord Toro. He looked at her waist, he hopes to see the dagger she nearly always had with her attached to her belt. She wasn't wearing a belt and there was no sign of the dagger. She was wearing her mothers necklace, that was the only thing he could see as marking her out as herself from this distance. If he was closer he knew her eyes would also mark her out.

"She's really isn't like that." He was now finding the words to defend her a little hard to find.

The girl let out a muffled hump as not to be heard by anyone else. "She really is worse. All the other men giving attention to the women, know that the women isn't interested. They also don't really like the women, so they don't care. He on the other really likes her. She knows this and is using him."

"She wouldn't do that."

"She would and is."

"How do you know he likes her..."

"He told me." The fact that is first question had been about Lord Toro liking Toph and not about her using him, worried him a little. "That was reason he gave for breaking off out engagement. He did it for her." With this parting shot she walked away.

The earth king then called fro everyone to take their seats in the next room fro the banquet. Aang saw Toph take Lord Toro's arm and be lead into the dinning room. She now looked like a totally different person. Beautiful. But cold and heartless.

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**Thank you for reading. Sorry it has taken so long for me to up-date. I feel I should point out that Lord Toro was in an earlier chapter. Chapter one of the third part of the story, sore. . If any one is interested. **

**In the past I have asked question that I didn't get answers to. I have another question now, but this is one that I need to have an answer too. The banquet is going to be for Toph's 18th birthday. I heard this song and I thought about were I maybe able to fit it in, if it worked and I found a place. My idea is for the members of the earth kingdom army that Toph as general has helped to train sing a song for her. I just want to know what you think of that idea. Dose it seem out of place, to Mary sue to have people singing a song for her as a birthday present. The song is one of us by heather dale.**

**I while wait till Friday before I start to write the next chapter. If I get any answers to this question then I will go with the post popular answer, yes or no. I would also like to know it you think I should use the slow or fast version of the song. This will determine the reactions to the song. So please let me know yes or no to the song and fast or slow. **

**if I only get one response then I will go with that. If I don't have an idea of what you think then I will take me longer to get the next chapter up. So its in your hand know, thanks. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for reading. I hope you like this chapter. The song is one of us by heather dale, if anyone is interested. **

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The dinning room was decorated in much the same was as the main hall had been. Aang found himself sitting on the left side of the table, diagonally across from Toph and Lord Toro. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could just make out the tone of her voice. It was light and airy. Like the tone she had when she was teasing him or someone else. Her face feel every now and again into a faint smile at something that Lord Toro had said. Once or twice out of the corner of his eye he saw Lord Toro lean in towards her to whisper in her ear.

When the first plate was placed in-front of him he noticed that he had been crunching the napkin in his hand. He was having a hard time believing what the women had just told him about Toph. Seeing the way she was acting was making it a little easier. It was like she wasn't the person he thought he knew. Could be really have been so wrong about her, had he completely misunderstood her character. Lord Toro was now offering her his napkin for her to place over her lap, to cover her dress. She seemed to look right at him, giving him a warm smile as she lightly toughed his arm longer than would be considered acceptable.

The first plates where quickly taken away and replaced with the second course, a meat dish that Aang played with while he waited for it to be taken away. He noticed Toph wasn't eating much of her food either. He noticed her tastes changing over the last year or so. Before she would have complained about having to eat a meal of only vegetables, but she had stopped complaining now. She was even choosing to eat meals like him when she had the choice. When meat was put in-front of her, like now she would only pick at it. He took a like pleasure at this, she was still maybe the same person under the make up and fancy dress.

Once the plates from the second course was taken away the earth king loudly knocked his spoon against his wine glass. All heads turned to face him, as he pulled himself up. "I would like to bring the reason for this banquet to everyone's attention." Aang glanced round the room. Looking to see if any one else looked as confused as he felt. "This banquet is to honour the birthday of someone of great standing." In the corner of his eye, he saw Toph hunch down in her seat, like she wanted the floor to eat her up. Because the floor was stone, she could actually do this, if she really wanted too. "Lady Toph." All eyes fell on Toph, as she did her best to smile. "She is more than a lady of noble birth, as we all know. She is also the ambassador of the earth kingdom, and the newest member of the council of five. Following the retirement of general Sung."

This was a new one. Aang didn't know she had been promoted. Something else he didn't know about her. The fact that it was her birthday was also news to him. He realised that he had never really known when her birthday was. He was now having a hard time combining the lady across from him and a member of the council of five as being one and the same.

"To honour her some of the newer recruits form the army, that she helped train would like pay tribute to her."

The earth king sat back in his seat at the head of the table, as the main doors to the dinning room opened. A group of about twenty soldiers dressed in uniform entered and arranged themselves in two lines of ten. The taller ones in the back. They looked to be a around the same age as Toph and Aang, in a few cases older.

A soft flute tone filled the room, as two of the soldiers began to play. While the rest began to sign.

_Before I got to fighting,_

_or when fighting got to me, __I_

_ looked to find examples on the filed of chivalry_

_I saw might arms __much stronger_

_than my arms would ever by ever __by_

_and I thought perhaps the filed was not for me_

The music gained seep and the voice louder. The large room was filled from the floor to the celling with the voices and music of this group of twenty.

_but I stayed and watched the fighting,_

_till one figure stood apart_

_in armour nearly fashioned _

_and a helm more pot than art_

_but each blow was thrown with honour_

_and a lightness of the heart, _

_so I took that step that soon became a start. _

Those that didn't have their eyes set of the soldiers signing, were watching Toph for her reaction. Aang was one of them. Since her name had been spoken by the earth king he hadn't taken his eyes off her, except when the soldiers had entered. She looked like she as holding back, fighting an emotion from crossing her face. He just didn't know what emotion it was she was fighting, happiness or sadness.

_Cause she was not the biggest fighter, _

_nor one to raise a fuss_

_but I remember being proud that she was one of us_

This brought a smile to his face. His most clear image of her fight on the day of black sun was of her bending with the hippo and the boulder and just how much smaller she was than them. the part about a fuss was also funny. She was the most destructive person he had ever known, if she was fighting you would know about it, Mainly because of the damage she caused.

_and we might never stand together _

_in the shield-wall side by side_

_but because of her I lift my sward with pride_

It was clear to see the real pride in the faces of the men signing. Aang could see it in Toph's face too. She was proud of them. Not for singing, but just for being themselves and surviving her training. A nagging thought came to his mind, as Toph gave a faint smile to the soldiers. Was she this proud, or even proud at all of him. Her first student.

_she was ladylike and lively _

_not the type you would expect _

_with a braver heart then many_

_and a slot-shot to respect _

This was the part about from being small in statute that fit the image of Toph the best. She was a lady, but as the king had said more. This lady was now once again trying to be eaten up by the floor made of her element. Most of the eyes in the room were now on her. She could feel then boring into her. Aang saw her squirming a little under their gaze. So did Lord Toro, who placed a hand on her bare shoulder, but only for a second.

_I guess she'd once decided _

_this was where she'd like to be _

_and I thought if she could do it_

_why not me_

Despite the feeling of sympathy for Toph, Aang couldn't help but smirk a little at this. Making up her mind and just going along with it was defiantly Toph.

_Cause she was not the biggest fighter, _

_nor one to raise a fuss _

_but I remember being proud that she was one of us_

_and we might never stand together_

_in the shield-wall side by side _

_but because of her I lift my sward with pride_

_so now as I gather armour_

_bits and pieces here and there_

_i think about examples: _

_how you act, and what you dare_

_cause never know whos watching,_

_or how far the story goes _

_and where err that lady is _

_I__ hope she knows_

The music and words of the song seemed to Aang to sound older than they should. It was like this song had been around for hundreds of years, as long as the avatar its self. His mind wondered to thought of the future. What would the stories, legends of the war say about them all. He know with some guilt what they would say about himself. What they would say about his friends, he wished he would be able to know. He knew they would be of the highest praise.

_Cause she was not the biggest fighter,_

_nor one to raise a fuss _

_but I remember being proud that she was one of us_

_and we might never stand together _

_in the shield-wall side by side _

_but because of her I lift my sward with pride_

_and we might never stand together _

_in the shield-wall side by side_

_but because of her I lift my sward with pride_

The music went on for a few seconds after the singing ended. All eyes where still on Toph, waiting for her to say or do something. She didn't keep then waiting long or disappoint. Using the table to help pull her up, she got to her feet. "Thank you." She was looking right at the soldiers. If anyone looked close enough at her they would see a faint tear build up in her right eye. "That is the best birthday present I have ever had. And its not really my birthday. It was my birthday a few days ago." Her eyes darting around. Aang noticed this as a sign of her discomfort. "I am proud to be one of you. One of a group of people, a nation that fights for what is right, no matter the cast or who its against." He couldn't help but feel that last part was meant for him, but he didn't know why. "I'm proud of you all." This was directed right to the soldiers, with an added genuine smile. The smile shone throw the slight pain in her eyes.

She sat back down, her hands resting on the table. As the eyes of the room fell from her and the soldiers left, Lord Toro took her hand in his, gave it a soft squeeze before quickly letting it go. The last course, desert was brought out soon after and quickly taken away. The guests then made their way back into the main hall, where the table of wine had be replenished. Aang made for the table picking up a glass he drank in one quick gulp. Things had never made much sense to him since he got here, but they where even less clear now. He felt like he was in a different world. Where everything was the opposite.

"Aren't you going to wish me a late happy birthday." Aang had moved to hide behind the column like he had done earlier. Like before he was interrupted by a female voice. This time though he knew who's voice it was. "If your waiting for the polite time to slip away, I think your fine." She was talking about the gathering after the banquet, but he hoped she was talking about slipping away from this conversation.

"Happy birthday." He spoke in a low voice, gave her a nod of the head before walking away. He was out of the main hall and about to start walking up the stares to the upped floor when he heard her calling his name in a low voice. He knew if there weren't about fifty people close by she would be yelling his name angrily. With a loud sigh he turned to face her.

"What is your problem. Is this because I didn't speak to you before, because I walked past you." As the spoke she concentrated on Aang. On any changes to his heart rate any sign of what was going on. "Are you jealous."

"NO." He quickly lowered his head as a few guest close to the door heard him yelling. With a slightly red face he turned and walked up the stares. Toph was not one to be got rid of that essay and she followed him.

"You are, aren't you."

He was now at the top of the stares she was a few steps behind. He quickly turned round with such speed Toph took a step back in case he lashed out at her. "I'm not jealous. I just thought you were dif..." he gave up and kept walking away. He turned onto the corridor that would lead him to his room. He heard her footsteps coming behind him, he also could hear one of the maids shoes clanking on the stone floor as she walked in their direction. When he turned into the last corner he would see her. Before he was able to turn the corridor, he felt Toph speed up behind him, she reached him took hold of his wrist and pulled him into an alcove in the wall. The maid walked past a few seconds later and didn't see them.

"Finish what you were saying." Her voice wasn't raise but is was filled with an natural authority. His eyes raise from the floor was he fully turned to face her meting hers.

"Did you hear the song they sang."

"Yes of course. I'm blind not deaf." She hadn't meant to snap at him, it just came out. She was getting very close to losing her temper.

Aang made himself look her in the eyes while he spoke. Though didn't see how it mattered. "The lady in the song, was meant to be like you, but...the lady I see in-front of me is nothing like the one in the song."

Her face kept changing. She went from anger to sadness in the space of a split second. Her face finally rested on one reaction. It was the one he had never wanted to see on her or anyone else again, hurt. "what are you talk..."

"The man you were talking to...he likes you Toph. He broke of his engagement for you. You don't like him, I know that. You were just using him. You were just like all the stuck up spoilt lady's you hate and said you would never be like, except you are worse. You know better."

He moved to walk away. He regraded saying so much, but maybe she need to here it. He was stopped from leaving by a hand wrapped around his wrist. "That man was lord Toro. If you had paid any attention to what you were meant to be reading today, then you would know he is the lord that took over from Lord Hong. Who's emerald we are looking form. I was trying to get information from him." the whole time she had been talking her grip on Aang's wrist was gettimg tighter. "How he feels about me is nothing to do with me, that is his business. Do you think Katara is as bad as those lady's you talked about, that just use you...case she knew you liked her and..."

"Shut up." Even after all this time Katara was still a sore subject for him. She knew this and hated that she had used such a low blow. "That was a low blow, Toph. Really low."

She let his arm go, throwing it away like it was rubbish. "So was what you said."

"I know. I..."

"I can't believe you thought that that was what I was doing. Using him because he liked me, so I would have someone...to what flirt with." Shaking her head in disbelief she stepped out of the alcove and started to walk away.

Aang spun round after her. "Toph, I'm sor..."

"Just leave me along. From tomorrow I guess we will have to spend the foreseeable future chained together. Let's just enjoy this last night of peace." She was turning round the corridor to her room as she spoke, she didn't even turn to face him. Aang turned and fell back against the wall of the alcove. He remained there in silence for few minutes. Toph's room was at the end of the corridor and his a few doors before that. He wanted to give her time to get to her room first before he turned onto the corridor to get to his.

A few hours later after the guest had gone and the moon was in the sky. Toph lay restlessly sleeping in her bed. She was lying on her back, her right hand was resting by her head. Her finger twitched as did her head. Her dream was in darkness like her waking life, but she like in life could feel a presence around her. It wasn't evil, it seemed dangerous because it was unpredictable. There was no telling what it was going to do.

All of a sudden she felt a sharp burning pain in her stomach. It was so painful she screamed at the top of her lungs and shot up in her bed. Her right hand was now placed tightly over her stomach were she felt the pain. Her berthing was laboured as she tried to control it again. She was finally getting it under-control and adjusting back into the waking world, when her door burst open.

"Toph, are you ok."

Aang moved quickly to the bed, sitting on the side and placing his hands on her shoulders. He noticed her hand over her stomach and started to worry a little more. "Are you hurt." She moved her hand from her stomach and shock her head. Her face looked whiter than normal. He didn't know if that was the faint moon light or fear. "What happened."

Toph slowly began to take in what was happening. She was now wake, not hurt and Aang was in her room hands on her shoulders, worrying about her. "I had a dream...I felt this sharp, hot pain in my stomach...like a fire dagger or...and it was so painful..."

"Its ok."

Not caring that the she may still be mad at him, or that they had just had a bad fight the last time they spoke, Aang pulled her toward him, then slipped his hands from her shoulders to met behind her back. Toph slowly lifted her arms to wrap around Aang. The feeling of another person next to her was comforting, no matter who they were. After a minute or so, Aang became aware that Toph was only wearing the slip from under her dress, her shoulder and arms were bear. As was his upper body. Toph too became aware that her hands and head were resting on Aang's bear chest. A little slower than they would have expected after such a realising, they pulled apart. Aang however retained a hold on her elbow as his hand slipped along her arm as they pulled away.

"I can sleep on the chair, if you..."

"No I'm fine." He could tell she was forcing her voice to come out as strong as it was. "like I said. This maybe the last chance we have for a good nights sleep for a while, we should make the most of it." She slipped her arms from his lose hold. Aang gave her a nod and got up to leave.

All of the anger and disappointment he had felt for her earlier had gone away the second her heard her scream. He had never really heard her scream, it scared him more than anything else had in along time. Toph too lost all of her anger with Aang. She had been more relived than she had ever expected when he burst through her door. He was a good friend. She could always count on him when she really needed him, he would come when ever she called. That was a very comforting thought.

Aang was at the door when he stopped and turned back to her. It just didn't seem right to leave her alone now. "Do you remember when we were all staying at the western air temple, and there was a rain storm that night. You couldn't sleep." Toph gave a half hearted nod. "Your tossing and turning woke me up too, so we went and sat at the edge of the temple. The rain poured down in-front of us like a waterfall." Even in the dark and after what had just happened, he could see a small frown on her face. Why did she need to know what something looked like. " You asked if as avatar there was anything I could do to stop the storm, thunder."

"You said, you could stay with me." Toph knew perfectly well what he was getting at when he brought up this story. She was grateful for this carrying, but it didn't seem right. "Its really ok. Thank you."her voice was sounder more normal, he believed her. He gave her a nod and a warm smile, that was lost on her as he left.

Toph lay back down on her bed, pulled the covers up close and clenched her eye shut. She willed herself to fall back to a dreamless sleep as soon as possible. She had never felt so scarred of sleeping since she was a child and there was a thunder storm. She cursed herself for being this childish.

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**I'm sorry if the song idea doesn't work. I fairness though I did ask for you view on that, and not one person reviewed or anything to say what they think. So I went ahead with it. How long it would have been before I updated if I waited for someone to review. **

**I know I have Toph and Aang fighting a lot. I never really mean to, it just kind of worked out like that. They are very different characters. So to right them in character they will argue a little. Don't worry though after Toph's nightmare they are friends again after the fight. **

**For those of you that have read the story before, then you will understand Toph's dream a little better. A little foreshadowing of the next part. **

**The bit about the western air temple at the end. That scene had been shown from Kataras POV in part 7, and Zuko's in part I think it was part 2 or 4. **

**I don't know why I bother at times, but if you could review that would be great. It really dose make a difference. It helps me keep the story on track and make sure that you the readers are enjoying it. **


	9. Chapter 9

** I feel I should apologize if I was a bit snarky or rude in the last chapter. I was just a little frustrated. I just feel that I put a lot of time into planing and writing the stories, and I know that people are reading them and that is great, I would just like a little input sometimes. I write because I want to, but I also want people to like the story. For that I would like to know what the readers think. That way if there is something in the story that people don't like, or would like more of, then I can do that. Sorry to go on about this again, I won't do it again. It just gets to me sometimes. **

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The summer sun had been up in the sky for a while, when Toph finally started to wake up. She had had a fairly uneventful sleep once she drifted off again. A small gust of wind blow in through the open window. Moving her hair into her face forcing her to start to sit up.

"Morning."

Aang pulled himself to sit up in the chair. He had been sitting there for about two hours and had leaned back into it, to be more comfortable. He did go back to his room, and like Toph slept fairly well. He woke a few hours ago at his normal time. Just after he was up and dressed there was a knock on his door. It was a maid letting him know that the king was ready to see him and Toph in the throne room when they were ready. He asked if they had been to wake Toph, they said no, so he asked them to leave it to him.

As quietly as he could he knocked the door. When he got no reaction, he slowly creped the door open. The room was cooler than his due to the open window. Almost on tip toes he walked towards the bed. The teasing he could get if she could see him tip toeing across the room ran through his head. He would never live down the nickname twinkles toes if that happened. Toph was curled up on the right side of the bed, facing the window and the chair next to it. For a brief moment he thought about waking her up, but quickly decided against it. Instead he sat in the chair and waited for her to wake up on her own.

"What are you doing here. Did you sleep there, I told you..."

"No I've only been here for a hour or so." He decided against tell her how long he had really been there "How are you. What happened last night." He moved forward on the chair, so his elbows where resting on his lap.

Toph was silent for a while, as she thought of the best way to explain to Aang what happened. "It was just a dream...a bad dream."

"That's an understatement. I have never heard you scream before, ever. It must have been something really bad for you to scream like that."

"You haven' heard me when those maids try and dress me in a frilly dress. I could scream the place down."

"Toph." His tone let her know that she wasn't fooling him. He saw through her attempt at making light of the situation. "How are you." He sounded so sincere, she couldn't lie to him or brush him off.

"Tired, but I am used to it...scared a little."

"Its ok..." While he spoke he got to his feet and walked over to her. A need to take her hand, or hug her over took him. Before he reached her, she moved out of the bed and walked over to the dresser next to the window.

"I need to get dressed, the King is waiting isn't he." Aang nodded and moved to leave. Just before he left she said something else, so quietly he almost didn't hear her. "Thanks Aang." He glanced back, but she wasn't looking his way. She was pulling two front strands of her hair back from her face. He slowly closed the door behind him as he left.

A short time later Toph now fully dresses meet Aang, who was waiting outside the Throne door. Like their other audience with the King the door was opened for them by two guards, who then lead then into the room. Then proceeded to stand by the throne.

"Avatar, General. I think that would be the correct title now that..."

"That's fine." Her head was lowered, but her voice came out loud and sharp. Aang watched the earth king taking a deep breath to stop himself from snapping back.

Once it had past him he went on. "I have some news for you on the jade bandit."At this Toph's head shot up. Her eyes wondered around more than normal. Before Aang could ask her what was wrong the king went on. "But first." he gestured for the guards to move. "I am sorry for this, but needs must." Toph while letting out an exaggerated sigh held out her left arm to the guards. The handcuff was quickly fastened around her wrist. Attention then turned to Aang, who reluctantly held out his right arm. Once the cuffs were fastened the guards moved back to stand by the throne. "Now that that unpleasantness is over, I will tell you both about a new development.

Aang had glanced over at Toph while the earth king was talking. He expected her to say something like, unpleasant, that's an understatement. Try invasion of personal freedom. But she never did. It was a little worrying how easy it was for him to think like her.

"Lady Shou, a guest from the banquet, who is staying at the palace for a few days clams the jade bandit was in her room last night. She saw them at the desk by her window, where she kept her jewellery."

"Did they take anything."

"No, she woke and must have scared them off before they had the chance to take anything."

"We'll go talk to her about it now. Is she still in her room."

"Yes. She's in the left corridor, second from the end."

Toph nodded and moved to leave, pulling Aang along with her. He had been quiet will she talked to the earth king, but now they where out of the throne room he started asking her questions. "Do you think it really was the jade bandit. They may have the emerald with them..."

"I don't know, maybe we'll find out."

They where now about to start walking up the stairs, when something occurred to Aang. "Wait." He stopped in his tracks and gave a weak pull on the chain to stop Toph too. "Do you think she knows about this." He lifted the chain up for emphasis.

"I don't know. He let us out of them for the banquet, so I don't think he wants people to know."

"So what do we do." Toph gave a shrug. "We could wear robes with long sleeves, wrap the chain a little around out wrists and stand close by each other."

Toph was silent for a minute as she tired to mentally picture how this idea would work out. "How would we get the robes on in the first place. Plus its summer, its to hot to ware a robe like that." Pulling Aang's arm a little, she moved to cross her arms in-front of her chest, and lean back against the wall. "We've just going to have to go up there like this. If she asks we'll tell her the truth, there isn't anything else we can do."

_you can bend the chain apart. _Thought Aang as he followed Toph up the stars. He wouldn't bring this up again, not after what happened the last time. A horrible thought crossed his mind as they reached the top of the stairs. How where they going to change clothes chained together. If they couldn't put on a robe how were they ever going to be able to change clothes for bed, or the next day. An even worse thought came to his head. Where were they going to sleep tonight. Before he had the chance to voice any of these concerns he heard a knock on a door, and realised that they had reached Lady shou's room.

A hight pitched voice answered the knock with a detached enter. Toph pushed the door open and will a look of irritation crossed the threshold. The room was much the same as the ones Aang and Toph stayed in. the only difference was this one had window that faced out over the grounds of the palace. Aang had a view of the city. Being at the end of the corridor Toph's over looked half of both. It seemed a little ironic to Aang that Toph was the one to get the room with the best view, maybe next time they were here he would ask to swap with her. _You maybe sleeping in her room tonight. _The voice in his head said. He shout it out as he turned his attention back to scanning the room for an clues of the jade bandits presence.

"The king said that you had an intruder last night. Can you tell us anything about it." Toph's whole face and demeanour changed. She was once again the well spoken polite young lady she was in-front of the king and at the banquet last night.

Lady Shou was a women in her fifties. She seemed over dressed for the summer weather. She wore a long detailed robe that looked very heavy. Her hair was severely pulled back into a bun, that was decorticated with a large hair ornament. The hair its self had a touch of grey to it. The make up she wore was also applied heavily. "That is correct Lady...Bei fong." Toph knew that she hadn't forgotten her name, she must be a friend of her step-mother or even her father and was just trying to insult her. She choose to let it go..

"Actually, its lady Toph. My step-mother and mother before her were Lady Bei fong." A self-satisfied smirk crossed her face as she moved to the centre of the room. "Now, what can you tell us about what happened last night. What did you see."

Lady Shou let out a sigh as she moved to sit on the bed. Her face fell into a frown, she looked a little troubled. "I woke up and saw the jade bandit over at the desk. They turned round to face me. Then left through the window." Her eyes had drifted over to the window as she spoke.

"Did you see them land or..."

"I was frozen in fear. I couldn't move. I don't care if they landed safely."

"Of course not, I was just asking." Toph's voice had a hint of irritation to it. Lucky Aang was the only one that noticed it.

Toph edged slowly over to the window. Leaning against the frame. It took Aang a bit of time to realise what she was doing. She couldn't see if there was any sign of forced entry, but he could. He didn't have to look very hard to see that there was nothing to see. The window looked fine. The only thing that was of any interest was that the drop from the window was a very high one.

"Is there anything else you can tell us, what they were wearing. Did they take anything. Anything at all could be of use."

"It was to dark to see. They didn't get anything."

Toph turned to Aang. She was asking him if he was ready to go, or did he want to look around more. He gave a subtle shake of his head. Toph turned back to face Lady Shou. "Thank you for your help. Sorry for bothering you." Pushing herself off the window frame she moved to leave the room. As he past her Aang gave Lady Shou a slight nod.

"I think what you are doing is a disgrace. You had everything your father could give you. Like a selfish brat you through it all back in his face. You run around with.,..." Her sharp eyes left Toph and fell on Aang. "Looking like a common..."

"That's enough." No one in the room expected Aang to be the one to snap. Toph felt Aang about to say something more, so she forgot the chain, too hold of his wrist and pulled him out of the room before he had the chance to say anything else. Toph kept pulling him till they where a few rooms away from Lady Shou's. "Why did you let her talk to you..."

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it dose." Pulling his arm away from her, he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Toph what is wrong. You are acting..."

"I just don't want to make all of this worse than it already is. I just want to get it over with as soon as possible." There wasn't much he could say to this. He knew there was more to all of this, but if he kept asking her about it, he would be the jerk. She had him trapped. "Did you see anything that could..."

"No." He dropped his arms and took a step back. "The fall from the window is pretty high though. I don't know if someone on there own without earth or air bending could have gotten in and out through the window."

"Are you implying that your the jade bandit."

"No, what..."

"You just said that you would have to be an airbender or earthben..."

"I was just saying..." He was silenced by her laughter.

"You are to easy." Aang moved to walk away, but was quickly reminded of the chain. It dawned on him that Lady Shou hadn't said a thing about the chain. She must have been too caught up in her own problems. "Aang." She knew she didn't have to call him back, he couldn't get very far away from her now anyway. She felt she owned him this much as least. After all she was the reason they were in this position. "I know I have been acting...strangely. There is a reason, I cant tell you, but it is a good one. So can we just focus on this and get it over with as fast as possible."

Aang turned back to face her again. If she was willing to make a little effort then he he would to. "So...what did you find out from Lord Toro last night. I should have asked you..."

"Well there was the yelling. Then the...screaming and then the you being nice to me." While she spoke she moved her arms around more then was normal, to show she was ok. That she was fine. For a second he almost believed her act. "Nothing really. It was a waste of time."

There was something she wasn't saying. He didn't know if it was about last night, or to do with her odd behaviour. "Do yo think the jade bandit was here last night."

"I think she believes that they were. Really no, I think she was seeing things."

"Why didn't you tell her that."A look of what are you talking about, isn't it obvious spread across her face. "Ok, I guess she wouldn't have taken it well." Toph moved to lean against the wall by the door. She could tell Aang had more to say. "Do you thing it's the jade bandit that took the emerald."

Toph was silent as she thought of the best way to answer his question. "I think..." Her face fell, for a split second Aang saw the walls fall, as she was about to tell him something she hadn't intended. "Lord Hong asked the jade bandit to take the emerald. There are reports of this happening before and I think Lord Hong did the same thing."

"I never got around to that report I guess." An awkward laugh escaped his lips.

Toph let out a faint laugh too. "No you didn't. The earth king had those reports kept secret."

A look of frustration crossed both their faces for a while before Aang asked another question. "Did you know lord Hong. You spoke like you did just then."

"I meet him once, I was about nine. He visited my father. It was the first guest I was aloud to be introduced too. I guess at nine they thought I was going to live so no need to hide my so much any more." He could taste the bitterness in her voice, it was so strong. "I remember I was dressed in this hot itchy dress, and my hair was pulled back so tightly. All I wanted to do was tare my hair out, pull of the dress and runway." She was quite for a second as she realised how much she had said. "He was taking about retiring...and what he was going to do with the emerald. He wanted it to go to the village. It makes sense that he would find a away, anyway to do that."

For the first time since all of this started Aang felt like he was starting to get a clear picture of what was going on. There were still a lot of thing that made no sense to him, but he would find them out in time. "I get you want to deal with this all in your own way. I just don't get how you could let her get away with talking to you like that."

A slithery mischievous look slowly crept across the Petit earthbenders face, as Aang looked a little more closely at her. He hadn't seen that look in a while. "Well...I may have metalbent the lock on the door, so it stays locked." Aang was about to start laughing, when a look so worry crossed her face. "I think we should get away from that door."

"Why."

"Because she's walking towards it."

Taking hold of her hand Aang pulled her behind him as he took off along the corridor. He stopped when they reached an alcove a little down the corridor, which he pulled them into. Form here they could watch what was going on from a safe distance. The banging on the door was so loud it cased Toph to cover her overly sensitive ears with her hands. Lady Shou was a lot stronger than she looked, to be able to make that much noise. Toph finally lost control and burst into loud hysterical laughter. Aang quickly covered her mouth, in case Lady Shou would hear her.

It was then that he noticed what Toph had tried so hard and so far be able to hide from him. "What happened to your neck, you have a huge bruise." Her laughter abruptly stopped. Aang moved his hand from her mouth so she could answer. Even the banging seemed to be muted as she racked her brain for a good lie, excuse. "Did I do that...when we were fight yesterday with the chain..." His voice trailed off, unable to finish.

All most against her well her head nodded. Finding this to be the only response she could give. She felt his hear sink, and she hated herself for being the reason for that. She hated lying, epicyclically like this. She had to keep in mind the bigger picture, play the long game. Right now it didn't seem worth it though.

"I'm sorry..."

"Please not. I gave as good as I got. Forget it please." He noticed that she had said please twice in more or less the same breath. So he respected her wishes and nodded, letting it go.

In silence they descended to the lower floor in search on someone to realise Lady Shou from her room. Toph could bend the lock back to normal, but she didn't want to be near when the old lady was released. She wasn't scared, she just didn't trust herself not to burst into hysterical laughter again. The rest of the day was spent like the day before in the library, With Aang reading the reports he didn't get around to the day before.

That night however they weren't released from the chain. Like Aang had thought, he was going to be spending the night in Toph's room. Both with their years of living out of a pack, sleeping out in the open, were fine with sleeping fully clothed in clothes they had worn all day. At least for a few days. It surprised Toph a like how this simple idea of something she had done before felt odd to her now. Maybe she had become to settled. Toph slept in her bed and Aang slept in his sleeping bag. Toph had to stay on the right side of the bed closest to the window, or Aang maybe pulled up form the ground.

At first Aang had had to try and drown out the sound of Toph tossing and turning while she tired to get to sleep. He noticed the blue bottle she had had with her at the eastern air temple when they were training Yunru on the bedside table. It was half empty. She must be using it again to help her sleep, or maybe she always used it. After a while he drifted off to sleep, he thought she would do the same soon. A little after midnight Aang woke from his light sleep. Even with the window open, the room was still filled with warm air that stopped him from fully falling asleep. He was about to try and see if the chain was long enough for him to reach the window, so he could sit by it and get some cool air. When he realised the other handcuff lying by his pillow. He shot up and found the bed empty. Toph was gone.

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**Again thank you for reading, I hope you likes it. There was a lot of dialogue in this chapter, I think it is one of the longest chapters I have written, because I wanted to try and clear up a few things, make the plot a little clearer. As so to remind everyone what is going on. Because the main plot was kind of dropped a little to set up a few thing for later in this story and parts of the story. Like always any comments or opinions are very welcome. It is really the only way I can think to make the story better. For you to tell me what you don't like and what you do like about it. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you for reading, and for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter. **

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Aang pulled himself to his feet. His heart was racing. He wasn't sure why. Maybe he was angry, or maybe he was scared. The idea that Toph could have been kidnapped or something like that seemed very unlikely. The only explanation for this was that she had left. She bent herself free from the chain, something she had said she wouldn't do, then just left.

With his heart still racing, now more clearly from anger he started to whined the chain around his wrist. It came almost up too his elbow. Closing his eyes tightly he focused on the stone floor at his feet. Gradually the ripples of vision came to him. He saw the palace as Toph did. He had to focus harder then normally to see the whole palace. Even with that he only had a faint picture of the palace. There was no sign of Toph. His arms feel to his sides as he turned and moved towards the window. In one leap he was balancing on the windowsill. Without a second thought he stood, bent a strong current of air that carried him from the window, over the walls of the palace and into the city. His legs started to carry him.

He didn't think much about where he was going or even what he was looking for. The only thing that was clear was that Toph had left, she was up to something and that he had to find her to know what that was. When he reached the centre of the city he stopped. The thought, the fact he had been trying to fight from coming forward in his mind since it first came to him, there was no fighting it back now. Toph was the jade bandit. There was no other explanation for what was going on.

He was going to the broken sword inn. That was were Toph had wanted to go the first night they were here. There must be a reason for that. It took him longer than he remembered to get to the inn. This rather than giving him time to calm down, was making him angrier. He hated that she was making him feel like this. They would have a fight, a disagreement than she would find a way to make it his fault and he would feel guilty, and end up apologizing. He hated that she could get him so angry, he was not normally a angry person.

When he got to the inn the sign was still hanging over the door in way that looked like it would fall at any time. This time this didn't bother him. He walked under it and through the door of the inn at a steady pace. Like the first time he had been here, the inn was filled to the point of a lack of air. His eyes didn't roam the room like they had done the first time he had stood on this spot. They locked onto the door at the back of the room. With large strides he pushed his way across the room and through the door.

The door slammed behind him, alerting the men to his presence. The back room was only occupied by three men this time. Changpu was one of them. Like he had done with Toph he sized Aang up, only with less of a burning stare. His right arm hung by his side as he stood up at the table. "Avatar, to what do I owe this surprise visit."

Aang set his steel eyes on the man that spoke to him. "What do you know about the jade bandit."

"Nothing." Changpu sat back down, thinking, hopeing that the conversation was over.

"I know you know something. Tell me."

After his encounter with Toph, Changpu was a little more reluctant to get into another fight. The Avatar was clearly not someone he wanted to fight with. As he sat there steel eyes still set on him. He wondered if he knew about what had happened with Toph. Was this thing about the jade bandit a cover for him being here. So he had a reason to beat him for hurting his girl. "I don't know much. They picked something up a few minutes ago. You might still be able to catch them, they might still be around here."

"What did they pick up."

"I don't know." While he wasn't was good as Toph he could tell when someone told a out and out lie and he was looking for it. Changpu was telling the truth.

More questions crossed his mind. Did he now Toph was the jade bandit. Had she been here to make plans for tonight. These and many more ran through his head. He didn't voice them. He wanted the answers form Toph herself. If he was honest with himself he also wanted to hold onto the small thread of hope that he as wrong. That Toph wasn't the jade bandit, that she hadn't been lying to him all this time. With much less fuss than Toph had done, he left the room. As he crossed the inn towards the door all the questions that he should have asked still kept running around his head. One stuck out more than the others. Do you know who the jade bandit is. He badly wanted the answer, but knew he wasn't ready for it.

Once he was out of the inn he looked down either side of the street he was on. He wasn't really sure what he was looking for. It was hard to really see very much in the dark of the night. He saw a street lamp a few feet away and realised their must be more of these along the street. Not seeing the rest of them he bent a stream of fire from his right hand. His left being weighted down by the chain wrapped around it. The stream of fire landed on most of the lamps either way along the street. Letting Aang really see the street he was in for the first time.

Out of the corner of his left eye he thought he saw a dark figure running across the street. He at first thought he was seeing things, but the long shadow of the figure created by the street lamps stayed in the street longer than they did. Without really knowing why he bent the air around him to lift him up onto the rooftop of the building across from him. Still using the air to carry him from rooftop to rooftop he chased after the figure.

The figure had run down a side street that then came out onto a larger one like the one Aang had been standing on. Once they left the side street and ran across the large street Aang finally got a good look at them. They were wearing all black covering ever part of there body. Except for a brown leather chest piece. There face was covers by a black mask. That left space for their eyes. This too was covered. A half mask made of jade black and gold coved the last part of the body.

Not using the air this time Aang pushed of from the roof with his legs. He had only planned on landing on the ground then continuing to give chase, but as he fell he realised how close he was now to the figure. Using the air again he reached them just before they entered the side street in-front of them they were aiming for. He took hold of them by the waist and pulled them down to the ground with him.

Aang landed on top of the figure, who didn't move once they were pushed to the ground. As he started to push himself up the figure took their chance to attack. They lay on there back and once Aang was balancing on his feet as he got up they swung their right leg across the air in-front of them, pushing themselves up at the same time. Aang was knocked back, but caught his balance in time and jumped to his feet. They pulled themselves to their full height at that same time.

He expected them to say something, anything, but they just stood there. They were waiting for him to say something, explain. "Your the jade bandit aren't you. Toph."

The figure tilted there head to the side, and raised their shoulders in a shrug. Again the jade bandit was the first to attack. They kicked out with there right leg, this time aiming for Aang face. Aang stepped back, them fell backwards. A rock that he hadn't noticed had been behind him, had tripped him over. A split second later and he was back on his feet. The jade bandit was running off again. This time down the main street. They were hoping that he wouldn't really try and fight them on a street wear people lived. He was wrong.

Once again Aang bent a stream of fire, larger than the last one. The stream swept down towards the jade bandits left. At the last second they dropped to avoid the fire streaming at them. Of course they wouldn't see things on their sides with a mask on, or if they were blind. In the time it took for them to get back on their feet Aang was by their side again. This time using the earth. He bent two blocks of earth from the ground and sent then towards the jade bandit. They hit them on the wrist, pulling them back to the wall next to them and bent in to cuffs on the wrists.

With the jade bandit in-front of him pinned by earth to the wall, Aang moved to stand in-front of them he reached out to remove the half mask. If it was Toph her eyes would give it away. The street they stood on had no light form street lamps, so he lifted his chained right hand as well, bending a small flame in his palm. So he could see their, her face. The jade bandit moved their head away a little at the fire getting closer to their face. His had was a inch away from the mask when is stopped.

He wanted to know how this was, but a part of himself stopped him. It was the part that questioned what he would do if it turned out to really be Toph. For now, not knowing he could still have hope that she hadn't used him. Once he knew there was no going back. He had to face what ever was in-front of him. "Are you the jade bandit." His voice was low and strong.

As if against their will, moved by the strength of his voice, the figure nodded. His arms dropped to his sides. He really had the person that he was looking for held in-front of him. The person that Toph may or may not have been able to catch herself. Maintaining the same strength in his voice he leaned in so he could be heard with more clarity. "Did you take the emerald form Lord Hong." Again the response he got was a nod. "Did he ask you to take it." There was a pause this time. He could almost see the wheels in their head working to find the best answer to this. Finally they responded, with a shake of the head. "So you just stole it." again a nod.

He took the step back again. He looked the jade bandit over to see if they were carrying anything with them, hiding the emerald in a pouch or something, but there was nothing. He couldn't put it off any longer. The question that had been at the front of his mind, on the tip of his tongue had to be asked now. The words came tumbling out, before had the chance to stop them. "Is this you Toph."

This question as well cased them to paused over it . Unfortunately this was not the question to mes around with. Now he had asked it he needed an answer. Firmly pushing a hand onto their shoulder forcing them to look at him, he asked them again. "Is it you Toph. Have you been lying to me, using me all this time."

This question seemed to annoy the jade bandit. They once again kicked out at Aang. This time landing a hit to his stomach. As he was forced back a few steps, the jade bandit summoning strength for somewhere, and was able to free themselves from the earth restraints. They didn't ran away this time,they stood waiting for Aang to get his balance back. Aang pulled himself up, realising that he was a good few inches taller than the jade bandit was. He couldn't see there eyes, but he knew form their body language that like him they had had enough of this. They moved to punch Aang in the face. A hit he avoided by simply moving to the right, and continuing to spin till he was standing with his back to the jade bandits shoulder. Again the turned to punch him. This time he ducked, grabbed them by the waist and pushed them back against the wall. He quickly let them go. As he did they slumped down onto the ground.

Aang, if he was honest was a little disappointed. He had expected a lot more from the jade bandit. They weren't bending anything earth or otherwise. The thin thread of hope that this might not be Toph was getting stronger. If this was Toph even if she didn't want to use earthbending, giving herself away. He knew full well that she could at least put up a fight without bending. This person didn't have her speed or balance. Using the wall behind them they once again pulled themselves to there feet. It seemed that the feet of strength shown getting out of the earth holds was a fluke.

Like he expected the jade bandit tried to punch him again. This time he took hold of their wrist and twisted it, so they were facing away from him. Before he could say anything a thin elbow hit him on the left side of his face, it hit the corner of hie eye making it water. He had to let the jade bandit go.

They took off again but Aang was after them in a shot. They changed direction running towards a side street, they picked up speed as Aang got closer. Instead of running down the side street the jade bandit was running full speed towards the wall of the house on the corner. Once they got close enough they pushed off with their right leg, while the left hit the wall. They were able to get there right leg up and the left again, before they pushed off the wall. Flipping over as they did. Aang was only about a foot or two away when they did this. The force they were able to push off with was very impressive. They pushed of far enough to be coming down almost right on Aang.

He couldn't move it was all happening so fast. Their foot stepped onto his head, like it was a stepping stone in the water. Using Aang to push off from they were able to reach the building behind them. The one they had been pinned to a minute ago. When Aang turned round the jade bandit was hanging from the roof of the one story building with their right hand. They swung themselves up onto the roof and ran off. It seemed agility was the jade bandit strength. Aang was starting to believe that this person may have been able to climb in and out of Lady Shou's room the night before.

Using the earth as a spring he launched himself after them. On the rooftops again, he could see the jade bandit a few house in-front of him. To his left he saw a small water tank on the top of what seemed to be a inn. An evil grin almost as evil as Toph's spread across his face as he bent all the water from the tank to hit the jade bandit. The current of water hit them on their right side. To Aang it looked like they didn't even see it coming like with the fire stream. The water carried the jade bandit to the ground nine feet below.

When Aang reached them, they were starting to pull themselves up. He jumped to the ground next to them. Took hold of their arm pulling them to their feet. The were unsure on their feet now. He was about to finally remove their mask when he noticed they seemed to be looking at something behind him.

The next thing he felt was a hard blow to the back of this head. They weren't alone, was the last thing he thought before it all went black and he came crashing to the ground.

His eyes twitched open as the first rays of sun hit them. It took him a few minutes to focus on where he was and taking what has happened. Using the wall next to him to pulled himself up. Taking a few minutes for his head to stop spinning, before he started to walk back to the palace. On the second step he took he stepped on a small rock in his way, he kicked it out of the way and kept going.

He walked round to the side of the palace, as not to be seen by many people returning. When he was under Toph's window he backed up a little from the wall and ran at it. Using air and earth bending he reached the open window and swung into the room.

The room looked just as it had when he left. Except Toph was now in the bed. Curled up on the right side facing the window and him. She looked peaceful. Not like yesterday morning after the nightmare, because that's what it had to be. He didn't want to wake her from a peaceful sleep, not after last night, and knowing how hard sleep was for her to find. But there was a lot he had to tell her, and a lot he had to ask her.

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**Again thanks for reading. I have asked a few times what you think of the idea of putting in links to pictures of outfits and thing in the story. I haven't had any comments back about this. So I will add two more now. **

**This is the link for the jade bandit's outfit. Like the last one, copy and paste, then take out the spaces I but in. **

**http .org /item/1314/ leather-ninja- fighter-child- **

**This is the link to the mask of the jade bandit. **

**Http :/www. .uk/ gold-black—green- papier-mache- **

**It took a while to find these, I hope you like them. I would also like to know if you have used in of the other links I have put in. if so what do you think of them. **

**I was worried about this chapter. I wanted to make the jade bandit cool, but they couldn't really take on the avatar with no bending. So it was hard to make them cool, but not to cool. I would really like to know what you think of the jade bandit. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for the reviews. I am really glad that you like the story, and think the jade bandit was cool. It was a lot of work to get that right. I hope you will like this chapter too. There is a quit a bit of dialogue in this chapter. That is to explain a few things. But don't worry the chapter after that will get back into the action. **

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He didn't know what to do. The first impulse he had was to call her name, wake her. His mouth clamped shut before a sound could escape. Slowly he stepped forwards, his right hand with the chain wrapped around his wrist lifted and reached out to touch her shoulder. When his hand was a few inches away from her she flinched, curling up a little more. Her eyes flickered a little, like they were going to open. Not wanting her to wake up to him standing over her, Aang continued moving his hand tapping her lightly on the shoulder.

Toph shrugged it off and moved over to lie on her back. Her right hand was held up to her chest, just over her mothers necklace. Her breathing got heavier as she again started to wake up on her own. Fearing now that she was having another nightmare, Aang found his voice "Toph." Her eyes started to open more. He wasn't sure why he was watching that. Did opening her eyes mean she was really wake. "Toph." He said again, a little louder this time. Still not getting much of a response. Again he tapped her on the shoulder, again a little more forcefully.

This time she wake. She let out a faint yell, more like taking in a deep breath, as she sat up in the bed. "What are you doing, where..."

"Where did you go last night."

His voice was like it had been last night, low and strong. This coupled with the strength of his presence, made Toph answer his question without finishing what she was saying first. "I woke up, couldn't get back to sleep. So I bend myself free from the handcuff and went for a walk."

"Where."

"Around the palace, why."

"That's it. You just walked around the palace."

Toph was looking more confused with every question he asked. "No, not just walking. I went to the bathroom and washed up. I can't change my clothes, but that doesn't mean I have to smell like Appa." Aang, who had been standing right next to the bed took a few steps back. giving them both some space. "Where were you. I got back and you where go. How come your the one acting all..."

"I Was..." A loud knock on the door interrupted him.

"Lady...Avatar the king will not be able to met with you this morning. You are free to carry on with your work."

Aang relaxed and feel back into the chair he had been sitting in yesterday morning. Toph was trying not to laugh. It sounded like the guard didn't know he was speaking to, Toph or Aang. This whole situation was not normal. Once the threat of laughter had subsided Aang once again opened his mouth to tell her what had happened, but again he was interrupted by the door being pushed open. Aang panicking, they were no longer chained together, and if anyone say that it would be hard to explain and keep the kings trust. He did the only thing he could do. He jumped for the chair, and practically leaped into the right side of the bed. Which was free now that Toph had moved to the centre after rolling over when she woke up.

A heavily made up maid entered the room. As she took in the sight in front of her a look of confusion spread across her face. She like everyone in the palace staff knew about the situation with the avatar and lady Toph. Seeing them fully dresses in the same clothes from the day before sitting next to each other in the same bed was still a little odd though.

After a few seconds of staring she finally found her voice. "Lady Toph, I'm here to help you dress..."

"I don't think I'll need any help with that today. Thank you though." A look of embarrassment spread across her face now. Of course the lady Toph wouldn't be able to change while handcuffed. Toph had tried to sound as pleasant as she could, but she really wanted the maid to go. So she could here what Aang was going to tell her. With a nod and small smile the maid left the room, closing the door behind her.

Toph was about to speak when Aang jumped out of bed as fast as he had jumped into hit. He unwrapped the chain from his wrist and handed her the other handcuff. With a little reluctance she took it and placed it around her left wrist, bending the lock back in place. "Why don't we go and get some tea. There is a lot of stuff we need to talk about." Toph gave a slight nod, as she slid out of the bed.

"Happy late birthday." Aang shot Toph a large smile from across the table at the jasmine dragon. Two cups of the house speciality, jasmine tea had just been placed on the table in-front of them. To help them not stick out as much, Aang had wrapped a robe over himself to cover the chain a little. It made him stick out though, but for wearing a robe in summer, which was a little less odd than the chain. The chain was now running along under the table. The shop was very quite only two other tables had people sitting at them.

"Thanks." She gave him a small smile as thanks.

"How late a present is this." He wanted to know about this and more, but he was also worried about the answers he would get to his questions."

Toph let out a held breath before answering. "Five days before you cam to see me at the academy."

"Did the others..."

"Yes, they knew. We met up in the fire nation. I had gotten back to the academy the day before you showed up." She didn't see it, but she could felt the hurt coming from his presence. "We didn't know where you where. How to reach you."

"I know, its my fault I'm sorry." Toph was going to say that it was ok, that she, they understood. The words just didn't come out. "So how many birthdays have I missed." She didn't want to answer this question. It was like he was trying to get her to be mad at him. "I need to know how many teas to buy you."

"I was twelve when we met. I'm eighteen now. So six."

"Six." He was having hard him believing that it had all been six years. They had all known each other for six years. "Tell me about them."

"Why do you want to know. Are you dyeing or something."

He gave a exaggerated shake of his head.. "No. I just want to know." He picked up his cup of tea, blowing on it before he took a sip.

This was another question she didn't want to answer. She felt that she owed him though, so she answered. "When we where in the desert after the library sank. That was my thirteenth birthday. I was fourteen just before I found out about my mother. Fifth-teen, just two days before Suki and Sokka's wedding. Sixteen, three days before I told Katara and Sokka my plan. To marry Zuko and help balance the world. Seventeen, before you came to ask me to help you find Long feng. why do you really want to know."

"I missed a lot..."

"Don't start feeling sorry for yourself. No one made you go, that was your choice." Once the words were out of her mouth she wanted to take them back. She shouldn't have been so harsh. "Aang I..."

"It's ok your right. Its my own fault that I missed so much. I'm here now though." Toph gave a little nod. Now that he had got her disappointed enough with him, and made himself feel bad enough, he could tell her what he had too. "I went out into the city last night."

"I figured. You were looking for me. You didn't trust me."

"Something like that. You where gone and I got mad then...that doesn't matter. What dose matter is that I went to the broken sword inn, I spoke to the guy in the back room. He told me the jade bandit had just been there, to pick something up."

"That scum..."

"Dose it really matter that he told me and not you. The point is that we know that jade bandit is here." Toph gave a reluctant nod. "There's more. I met the jade bandit."

"What did they say."

"Nothing actually. They just nodded there head a lot. It was them though. They had the emerald. You were wrong though. They stole the emerald from Lord Hong."

"Did you get it back." That was a stupid question. Of course she knew the answer already.

"No."

Toph leaned back in her chair. Thinking over all that she had been told. They drank the first tea in silence. The second and third, Toph insisted on knowing about Aang's birthdays since she had known him. In truth birthdays were not a big deal for air nomads. He had almost forgotten his birthday till three years after the war, while he was travelling he came across records in the northern air temple of his birth. Knowing the date didn't change anything, he still never thought about his birthday. Toph made a mental note the tell the others and make sure they did something for his birthday this year. It was summer, so it was coming up soon like Zuko's and then Katara and Sokka's. Suki's was at the very end of the year a few days from Sokka's.

Toph found it odd that she was the youngest, but that her birthday cam first in the year. Now knowing Aang's birthday they realised that he was a season, winter older than her. He was born one hundred and one winter before her, making him the older. Toph was a little disappointed by this, she had liked the idea that she was older than at least one person in the group. This was their conversion over the fourth cup of tea. They left after that, not making it to number five or six. He still owed her two cups of tea.

It had been easier than she had thought to be in the jasmine dragon. She hadn't been there since she had visited Iroh while she was in the city. She was going to be sixteen soon and was starting to worry about Zuko not being able to do his job as fire lord, because of other people's prejudice. Iroh had seemed older to her, but she didn't think much of it. He was working, of course he was tired. She wished latter that she had noticed and done something to help him, maybe she could have saved him. If she had only noticed sooner. This was a dangerous road to go down, so she stopped herself before she went to far. In the earth kingdom people have long lives, they endure and live. She wasn't used to old age.

Aang forgot about the loss of Iroh till he walked into the shop. The whole time he kept expecting to see him bringing over another tray of tea for them. Sit down and walk while it was quite. Give advice, spirits now they could both use some now.

When back at the palace, the king had asked for their presence at dinner so they could up date him on their work. Toph had her hair and make up done by the maid that came to help her dress that morning, while Aang sat on a chair by the window of her room. He was thinking of how best to tell the king what he had found out, but not have to tell him that Toph had unlocked the handcuff from herself. When the maid left, he told Toph what he thought up. They would say that she couldn't sleep. So they walked around the palace. Then decided to go into the city, hoping to find a lead. Which they did. They rest of the story was the same as what happened, only Toph was there too. The fact that they were chained together was the reason he got away. The earth king seemed to lap this up. At last he was seeing some progress.

Like the night before, Aang slept in his sleeping bag next to Toph's bed. He started to wake just before the sun started to rise in the sky. He lay on his back and stretched out his arms over his head. The chain seemed to be pulled tighter. He worried that he may have woken Toph up. Slowly he pulled himself up. The bed was empty.

Unlike the last time he didn't feel a surge of anger building up inside him. She was probably just washing up again. His eyes drifted to the door, in case it was opened a crack after she left the room to wash. It was then that eyes feel on the wooded headboard of the bed. On the far left side of the bed the other handcuff was chained to the headboard.

He let out a stifled laugh, at first. She handcuffed him to the bed so he wouldn't go off again to find the jade bandit without her, that was very Toph. Even though this made sense for Toph, something about it didn't seem right to him. The simple answer was always the right one. In this case it was also the least pleasant one.

Toph was the jade bandit. She had handcuffed him to the headboard to keep him out of her way, will she did whatever she was going to do with the emerald she stole.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey. I am so sorry that it has taken so long to up-date. I have had problems with my laptop. I feel like I should explain something before I go on. This is the 90th chapter of the story as a whole. If you have read the story before, when I posted it the first time, then you will know that there is a major event in the next part. That event I would like to be the 100th chapter, or the aftermath to be the 100th chapter. That is why I have to extent this part of the story a little longer. That doesn't mean that I am adding in filler, I am just splitting the chapters up a little differently. Rather than maybe three long chapters, it will be around six shorter chapters. **

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Aang's hands took hold of the chain, he pulled it as hard as he could. The headboard almost broke in two with the force. He wrapped the chain around his wrist the way he had done the night before. Then he left Toph's room and walked to his. Resting next to the window was his glider. He picked it up as he opened the window. The city was starting to come alive. He could make out a few people walking the streets. His energy went into controlling his breathing and steadying his nerves. He had hoped that standing still like this would calm him a little, stop him from feeling so angry with her. It didn't, he was to mad. He needed to see her, hear from her what she had done. He wasn't sure if that would help him with his anger, or make it worse. He just knew that he had to do it.

Leaping over the windowsill and opening up his glider he took to the sky. He swept over the houses of the city, as he speeded towards the outer ring of the city and the broken sword inn. He figured that this would be the best place to start looking for her. It was the place that she had wanted to go to when they first came to the city. By the time he was able to think more clearly, he was standing in-front of the broken sword inn. The sign was still hanging in a way that looked like it would fall down any-time soon. On this occasion it didn't bother him. He walked under it and into the inn with a real sense of purpose and authority.

This was sadly not noticed by the drags of people that still remained in the inn. There where at least six men still in the main room. All of whom lay passed out, lying over a table or spread out over the floor. For the first time Aang saw the floor of the inn and the bar in the far corner. They where both a dull tired brown colour. His eyes only skimmed over all of this, as they were set on the door in the opposite wall. He had to step over a man on the floor and jump back a little to avoid being his by the flaring arms of a man that was just starting to wake up.

For a split second he was tempted to kick the door open, but didn't. He was having to try so hard to remain clam, that he worried if he kicked the door dowm, he would also end up hurting the man he hoped would be on the other side. He couldn't afford to do that, at least not tell he had got what information he needed from him. This thought he also had to fight back, it was so unlike him, and too like Toph.

The back room was almost empty, except for two men and the large table they where sleeping at. Aang slammed the door behind him. As the two men in-front of him shut op after being woken by the loud noise, he heard noises from the other side of the door that told him that he hard woken them as well.

"Where is the jade bandit." He was directing his hard steely stare at the man he had spoken to before.

Changpu slowly started to focus on what was going on. His automatic response got lost as he met the avatars eyes. "I don't know."

"Don't lie to me." Aang started to walk further into the room. The floor was littered with playing cards and empty glasses.

Changpu looked like a fire had been lit under him, as he jumped to his feet, and took a step back. He wanted to be able to get away from Aang as fast as possible. He had noticed that Toph wasn't with him. He worried that that meant she had told him about what happened the night she had come to this room on her own. Now he was back for revenge for hurting his girl, and this stuff about the jade bandit was all an excuse. "I'm...not lie...ing. I don't...know."

"Tell me what you do know." Recognising the reaction his presence was having on the man in-front of him he stood still know. Not getting any closer.

"They sent my something to keep, till they came to get it..."

"And, What was it." He could already guess what it was that Changpu had been told to keep hold off by the jade bandit. Lord Hong's emerald, that she had stolen.

"I don't know. It was in a small brown sack. They came the same night you did to pick it up. That's all I know."

"So, you really don't have any clue as to where they would be now."

There was a look in Changpu's eyes that Aang hated to see. It was a look of pleading. He hated to see that in anyone's eyes, especially directed at him. It showed how much he had weakened the person, not just in a fight, but their spirit too. "I over heard that they were meting a group of sandbender's in the desert this morning, but I don't know if that is true or not."

Aang though this over. It made sense if she wasn't prepared to keep hold of the emerald herself before, then she would pass it on to someone else again. They didn't have anything with them the night before. He had looked, they didn't have a brown sack with them, he was sure of that. This could mean that there was two people that night, the jade bandit didn't work alone. This train of thought lead to a hope that maybe this wasn't really Toph. At the very least she may not be a greedy thief. He stopped this train of thought before he could get too caught up in it. He couldn't afford to get his hopes up.

Without another word Aang turned and left. The inn was now almost empty. The only person in the main room with him was the bartender. He watched Aang as he walked towards the door, his glider swing from side to side. He avoided looking at the bartender. He didn't need to be distracted by anyone or anything now. This talk with Changpu had only left him with more questions, and a stronger need to find her, see her and talk with her. Once again he opened his glider and took to the sky's.

In a few minutes he was over the city walls. When he glanced back at the city he saw the new part of the wall that had been added to repair the damage done by the drill, Almost five years ago to the day.

There were more people walking the streets now. The sun also now fully in the sky. Making him grateful to have the cool breeze whipping past him. He finally made his gaze full on the expanse of sand below him. In the distance the sand seemed to be falling into place after it had been forced from its position. The closer he got the more he saw of the speeding sand-sailor and the dark figure that it seemed to be speeding towards. If this was the jade bandit and the sandbenders they were meting, then this all seemed to essay.

The figure was different from the jade bandit he had met the night before. They seemed to be wearing a brown cloak, that when the wind picked up he could see had a silk jade lining. The sand-sailor stopped a few feet from the figure. The two sandbender's on board didn't get down. They remained on board where they stood, so did the figure. Just as Aang landed on the sand floor a good few feet behind the figure. They lifted their right arm. A brown sack in their hand. They moved their arm back throwing something at the sandbender on the sand-sailor. It was caught and the sand-sailor turned and speed off.

Before the figure, the jade bandit, Toph had a chance to return their arm to their side, Aang bend a ball of fire in his hand and sent it toward them. The jade bandit was hit right on their right shoulder. They hadn't noticed Aang's presence or expected a hit. They where taken by surprise. That and the force of the hit caused them to be knocked to the ground. Aang only lifted his eyes from them to watch as the sand-sailor picked up speed to get away from him. He wasn't planing on following after them. He had more important things to take care of now, they could wait.

The jade bandit was now pulling themselves to their feet. Once standing they remained standing with their back to their attacker. They rolled their right shoulder, then their neck. Trying to shake off the burning pain from the fire ball. The hood from the cloak had fallen as they stood up. This revealed the back of the black face mask they wore to cover ever inch of themselves. Aang saw were the half mask tied at the back of their head. Just under that he saw a tare in the mask, probably cased by the fire ball.

Through this tare their hair was falling through. It was black. Almost as black as the mask and the main part of their outfit. The blackest hair he had even seen. It was also long and shone brightly in the harsh morning sun. Slowly they finally turned to face him.

He kept his gaze focused on the eye holes of the half mask. He wanted to look them in the eye when he said what he had to and heard what they had to say. All the had wanted to say ran through his head, so fast he couldn't catch one sentence to make it come out of his mouth. They just stood their waiting for the silence to be broken, and the fighting to start.

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**I am really liking cliffhanger endings in this part. I hope you liked it. As always please review and let me know what you think. **


	13. Chapter 13

A strong gust of wind blow over the desert, lifting the cloak the jade bandit was wearing. The strand of loose black hair also lifted into the air. The sound of the wind blowing past them was the only sound that was heard, neither of them had spoken. Aang was keeping his gaze on the jade bandit, his eyes though finally blinked. When they opened he saw the sand-sailor that was speeding away, with the emerald he was meant to be looking for.

He moved to pull out his glider, so he could go after the sand-sailor. He had been so focused on finding put who the jade bandit was that he had forgotten why he was here in the first place. Now he was sure he knew who the jade bandit was, then he could deal with them any time he wanted too, he had to act now to get the emerald. Before he was able to fully pull out the glider, and stream of sand came down on top him.

As be pulled himself back onto his feet, he looked over at the figure in-front of him. They had changed position, they were now leaning forward on their right leg, hands out in-front of them. Things were starting to make more sense. "You bent a rock at the back of my head the other night, didn't you." The figure slipped back into their standing position again, as they nodded their head. "Aren't going going to say anything. I already know who you are." The jade bandit tilted their head to the right. It was like they were saying they didn't believe them. Like they were mocking him. Moving the glider in-front of him, Aang bent a string air current that hit the jade bandit on the side of their head. They brought their arms up to block their head, but they were still hit. Once they arms lowered back to their side, the half mask started to slip. Aang saw a small crack on the right side of the mask, that was slowly getting bigger. The mask finally broke in half and fell onto the sand.

Aang wanted to look them in the eye, know for sure, no questions, but he couldn't. He kept his eyes on the sand at their feet. He noticed their hand twitching a little. It looked like they where trying to decide whether or not to lift their hand or not. Eventually they seemed to make up their mind. They lifted their right hand, took hold of the black mask they wore that covered all of their face. In one quite move they pulled the mask off. Then let it drop onto the sand like the half mask.

"Toph" His voice was so quite it was almost lost in the strong wind. Her long hair was blown into her face, for a minute he wondered if he had just been seeing things, that it wasn't really her. He had been sure it was her from the minute he woke up chained to the bed and she was gone. There was still apart of him that wanted to have a little hope that is wasn't.

"You sound surprised. I thought you said you knew it was me." There was nothing Aang could say. "I'm a little surprised. I would have thought that you would have been completely sure before you bent a fire ball at me." She felt him winch a little at this. It was a bit of a low blow.

Again he moved to pull his glider out, and again she moved faster. She bent a sand whip that hit him at his knees. He didn't fall over he used the glider to keep him standing, then used it to bend another air swipe at Toph. She pulled up a small shield of hardened sand. As it fell she held out her arms out, them lowered them. Aang was again trying to move, but found he couldn't. The sand around his feet and hardened, trapping his feet. The first bending Toph was able to do with sand. "I'm not going to let you pass."

"So I don't stop you from keeping the emerald for yourself."

"No. So you don't stop me doing what I promised Lord Hong that I would do. Make sure that the emerald goes to the people of the village."

"You said that you stole it for yourself."

An slightly evil grin crept across her face. "I never said a word to you as the jade bandit till now. As Toph I told you what was going on. I never lied to you as Toph." He could see the glint in her eyes as she was able to get out of this on a technicality. At the pleasure she was taking in mocking him, Aang found his rage rising again. Focusing as much as he could, as not to do to much damage, he bent a large stream of fire from his mouth at the sand around his feet, freeing himself. Toph may be the better sandbender, that gave her an advantage. If he was to try and sandbend mainly against her then it would be harder for him. Firebending was the best bet, she was weak against it, and with no water around it was his only real alternative, if he wanted to attack her and not just evade her attacks.

Using the sand to lunch him, Aang lifter into the air, and came down next to Toph. He picked up his glider, and tried to knock her over by hitting in at the knees, like she had tried to do with him before. Like himself she wasn't knocked over. she like him again used the sand to lift herself into the air. Unlike him she used the sand in a different way. She bent it to follow after him. It looked like she was riding a sand wave. Aang bent a air swipe to cut it down. Toph brook her fall by tucking and rolling to a knelling position.

Aang remained standing, giving her a chance to get to her feet. Once standing, her sightless eyes locked onto his. "If you want to get past me. You are going to have to come at me with the intention of killing me." She felt a slight wave of horror was over him. "Come on. You know your as bored as I'm, most of the time. Don't tell me you don't want to push yourself. Fighting a grand master to the death. That must give you a rush too." She now sent a stream of sand, with a sharp pointed end, right towards his chest. Aang bent an air shield that shattered the sand stream when it hit against it. "I'm not going to hold back, so if you want to live you better not either" He knew that in part this was a lie. She was going to hold back, she wasn't going to use bonebending. She wouldn't use that in a fight, unless it was life or death.

"Why dose this matter to you so much."

"I made a promise." As she spoke she ran towards him, hands bent at her sides. A large stream of sand followed after her. Rather than hitting into him, the sand stream wound its way around him, getting closer and closer. When she was closer she stopped an kept moving her arms in a circler motion. The sand speed around Aang encasing him. Toph kept the sand moving at a fast speed. She knew that she couldn't keep this up forever, but it gave her time to think of what her next move was going to be. Aang felt the sand moving in closer, if he touched it he would be cut by the rough, yet sharp substance. Bending fire from his hands he burnt the sand, gaining his freedom.

Not wasting any time he opened his glider and speed towards Toph. Who bent the sand under her like she had done before, to lift her into the air. Aang turned and dove straight into the stream of sand Toph was riding. He cut it down, causing Toph to fall to the ground. This time she wasn't able to land properly.

As she slowly pulled herself up, Aang took his change to make his next more. He bent the largest fire wave he could towards her. Toph just had time to bend the sand around her as a shield, that completely surrounded her like a dome, before the wave of fire surrounded her. Aang could only watch what he had done. When the fire faded and he saw the burnt, but still formed sand shield the extent to how far they were taking this became clear. They were both incredibly skilled and could be deadly if they wanted, but they never did. They had know how far to go, what the limits where, till now. The anger he felt for her was slipping away, and was replaced by worry. He was worried that he had really hurt her. He then remembered that he already had, he had hurt her right shoulder, before he was completely sure it was her.

Before he could speak, or take more then one step closer to the sand shield, it came undone. Then formed into hundred of sharp sand spiked that speed towards him. Instead of watch them, he looked passed them, to Toph. She was kneeling with both hand out in-front of her. He was going to let her attack hit him, just a little. He felt she deserved to get a hit in, he was going to let her get one, a little one. He wasn't an idiot. When he focused on the sand spikes again, they were much closer then he thought they would be. He wasn't going to have enough time to block the majority of them. The one hit he was going to let her have was going to be a big one. He started to move his right hand to bend an air swipe in-front on himself, but before he could the sand spiked stopped in the air, then fell to the ground. He looked back at Toph her arms had lowered to her sides.

His eyes met hers, and he saw that she was feeling the same thing he was, disappointment. Not just at the other person, but at themselves too. He saw her mouth open slightly to speak, but she didn't say anything. She quickly undid her cloak and turned it the other way round. The underlining of the jade silk now shone in the sun. She pulled it around herself closely. Her head was lowered to the ground. He could almost see the wheels in her head working overtime, but he wasn't sure why.

A few seconds later it became clear. He felt the sand sifting behind him. When he turned around he saw a group of three guards from the palace coming towards them on what looked like a carriage from the rail road the ran around the city. Two of the guards where bending the sand to move them forward on either side, the third stood at the front of the carriage look right at Aang.

Aang moved over to stand next to Toph who was still kneeling in the sand. He only glanced at her for a second. She didn't seem to be scared or even a little worried that she was about to be exposed at the jade bandit. He started to worry of she had only stopped her attack because the guards were coming, or if she would have stopped it any way.

"Avatar Aang, General. We have been sent to find you by the king."

"How did he know we where in the desert." Aang was starting to get a little paranoid now. He was starting to think that maybe the earth king was also involved in all of this.

The third guard who had not been bending the sand answered. "The look out saw you leaving. We assumed the general was also with you."

Aang nodded. He didn't know what to saw. He should get them to help him restrain Toph and bring her back to the city to face the king. He just couldn't bring himself to saw any of this though. What ever she had done she was still his friend, and he wanted to give her a chance to explain properly. While he was trying to find the right words, Toph finally pulled herself up, still holding the cloak tightly around herself, hiding the jade bandits clothes. She stumbled a little, falling a little onto Aang's shoulder.

"We got a lead from a source last night, that the jade bandit was leaving the city this morning. With the emerald. We kept a look out for them. A few minutes ago we saw them, caught up to them and fought them. We unmasked them, so we know who they are." Toph gestured with her hand towards the broken half mask lying in the sand. "We also know where they are headed. I have been hurt on my shoulder, so Aang wanted to return to the city. Where I could rest then leave tomorrow on Appa to catch up with them."

There was no reason from Toph to tell them all of this, if it was true. She was a general, she out ranked them. The fact that she was lying so easily to them, was not pleasant for Aang. He had always thought that she was always honest, that he could count on her to be honest with him, but now he didn't trust her. She had shown herself to be manipulative and amoral.

The guard was clearly not sure what to say or do. It took him a few seconds to speak again. "We'll take you back to the palace. The king wanted to see you both when you returned." He then turned away from them, to change places with the guard on the right. It seemed he would be helping to take them back to the city.

Toph was the first to move towards the carriage. As she did she again stumbled. Aang was next to her in a second, his strong arm around her shoulder, holding her tightly. His hand resting on her upper arm. Toph could feel his finger tips digging into her arm, just under the burn from his fire ball,as he helped her to the carriage, like he was keeping her from running away. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't. The second time she had fallen to the ground, she had slightly twisted her ankle. She didn't want to bonebend it to dull the pain in-front of Aang. So she would wait till she was on her own. She realised that she didn't know now if that was going to be in a cell or her room.

That was up to Aang now, and she had no idea what he was going to say to the earth king. Her life was in his hands. He had let her lie to these guards, gone along with it. He had had the chance to turn her in and he hadn't. She knew that this was more to with him wanting answer, then wanting to help her. Never the less she as grateful. She also wanted the chance to explain everything to him.

He lowered his arm from her upper arm to her waist and placed his other hand on the other side of her waist, then lifted her on to the carriage. The was a roughness and force with which he did these things to help her, that told her that he was still very angry with her. When he was on the carriage to and they were speeding back towards the walled city, Toph moved to sit at the back of the carriage. As she passed Aang her good left shoulder brushed past his right one. In this action, because he knew she had done it on purpose. She had told him that she was grateful that she had given her a chance to explain, but not that she was sorry for what she had done, buy maybe for hurting him. His hands that held onto the bottom of the open window he was looking out of held on tighter. He didn't know if she was trying to manipulate him into keeping her secret, or she was being honest. He was also angry that she could read him so well, knowing how to speak to him without having to say a word. He angry that she could read him, and he couldn't read her

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**thanks for reading. I hope you liked it. I would love to know if anyone had figured out that Toph was the jade bandit before this. I sure most of you did. I made it a little to obvious, though I did try and hide it. **

**I was looking forward to writing this fight, but then I go to it and I was really hard. I wanted it to be a really harsh fight between them, but I really don't think it worked that well. I was basing a lot of Toph's bending in here on garra from naruto. I don't think that worked out that well either, unfortunately. I always think that fight are great in the story, then I get to write them and it takes longer, and they never work out. I just nor very good at writing them. **

**I should also point out the carriage that guards arrive in was based on the one that the group ride in the drill episode to get into the city. This also took a long time. Trying to find a way to get them there. **

**In the next few chapters I will explain what has been going on. I will also up-date sooner I hope, because this will mainly be dialogue. Like always I would love to know what you think. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you very much for the reviews, it is great to now that people like the story. It may seem sad, and like I am trying to guilt you all into reviewing more often, but getting reviews any reviews really means a lot. It also makes me up-date sooner. Not sure why, but it dose. Hope you like this chapter too. **

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The guards lead the way towards the throne room, not that either Aang or Toph need to be shown the way. Toph was limping a little on her right leg. Aang didn't offer her any support this time. It was like he was distancing himself from her now, so it would be easier to do so when they faced the king, and he turned on her for what she had done. She was keeping the cloak tightly held around herself. There was a part of Aang that wanted to pull it from her, so she couldn't hide behind it any more. People would then see who she really was.

The earth king sat on his throne, looking sight towards them as they walked towards him. The guards had closed the door behind them, leaving them alone with the king. "Avatar, General. I hear that you have news for me."

Once he spoke they stopped in their tracks. Toph stopped a few steps behind Aang, like she was now hiding behind him as well as the cloak. "Yes, we do." Aang turned to Toph. He was looking to her to give him an idea of how she wanted to handle this. Did she want to tell the king herself, or for him to do it. Her face was set facing straight ahead, he couldn't read it. "I think it would be best for Toph to explain it all to you." With maybe a little more force than he had intended, he stepped behind her, pushing her forward.

The king now set his brown eyes on Toph. A million options of what to to say, how to play this ran through her head. She could admit it all. But she would only tell Aang everything that had happened. She owed him that much at least. She could manipulate the truth, something she was good at. Give him enough grains of truth that he wouldn't see the lies. There was also out and out lies. Aang however may not let her get away with that. Her best bet for getting herself out of this was the second choice. Tell enough of the truth that the king will be satisfied, while also letting Aang know that she will tell him all that he wants to know, if he will just go along with her on this.

"We heard from a source last night, that the jade bandit was going to be leaving the city..."

"What source."

"One that wishes to remain anonymous. I'm sorry your highness, but I can't say."

"Very well go on." The king seemed irritated, but he got over it because he wanted to know what she was going to say. So did Aang. Despite himself he also wanted to know what she was going to come out with. He hated that she had lied to him, probably used him to carry out what she was doing. He also though was a little impressed with how well she was able to think on her feet to get herself out of trouble.

Toph had kept her head looking straight ahead. She had leaned early on the best way to get away with lying. The first thing was that if you avoided looking at the person then it was a big give away, you were lying. That was why she was trying to face right at the king now. The second main thing was that, the more detail you added, that wasn't important, the less likely it was your where telling the truth. "We left the palace early this morning to catch up with them. I had to bend the chain apart. So we would be able to deal with them better." She felt this was an important detail to add. She was already in so deep, she didn't want to get caught out by the fact that they where no longer chained to each other. "We caught up with them. I was hurt, so Aang wanted to return."

She felt the irritation rising from the king, and from Aang. He clearly didn't like being made to look like a wimp. She found it a little funny that with all the times she had called him a wimp or something similar it was now, when she need him to shrug it off like he always did, that he didn't. It was know that he choose to take it to heart.

"We know who they are. Aang will deal with them." This she directed to Aang.

She was telling him that she was putting herself in his hands. Whatever he wanted to do about what she had done she would go along with. This was very unlike her, she never let any one have any control over her. She had fought her whole life to stop that happening agian, but here she was giving him that control. All she was asking from in return was that he went along with her now. Then he could deal with it his way. He hated that she was again manipulating him. He was aloud to be angry with her, and she knew that to. In saying this in her own way, she was making it almost impossible for him to go against her now, and maintain his level of angry with her. His right hand clenched shut, so tight he started to draw blood.

"Who where you hurt, Lady Toph."

She knew he would now start to call her by her more feminine title. As a result of her now being seen as a weak women, that couldn't look after herself. At any other time she would respond to this by either a smart come back, if she could think of one, or by proceeding to kick the person to dust. Though she would normally not go that far. A rock to the head seemed to work just as well in most cause. It had even worked on the mighty avatar.

"My ankle and my shoulder. It's nothing very serious though. Aang was just being a good friend. Looking out for me." She was well aware that she was now laying it on a little bit to thickly, but she couldn't take the chance that he would turn her in now. She need a little time. Then if he really felt that he had to turn her in, then she would as least be ready to get away or think of a better plan. Along Thoughts of how she could turn this round onto him. Making him look he was the jade bandit all, framing him for all of this ran through her head. She quickly pushed them way, he was her friend she couldn't do that to him. No matter how despite she got to survive, she would not turn on her friends, or good people. Though she did retain some strands of these thoughts, just to be on the safe side.

"You should go to your room and rest now." Toph nodded and turned to walk away. Despite her sore ankle she moved rather fast. Aang also quickly turned to follow her. Not wanting to give her a chance to avoid him or run away "Avatar, I would like to talk to you from a minute longer." Aang felt Toph stop, rooted to the spot. He couldn't see her face, but he could picture the worried look that would now be on her face.

"Yes your highness." Toph lifted her head quickly before Aang turned back to face the king. She gave him a look that she hoped he would catch. It was look of pleading. Asking him to please play along a little longer. That she was grateful and would put herself on his mercy after this. If he just did this one thing for her. She tried to meet his gaze for as long as she could get away with, before she had to start limping slightly away again.

The king didn't speak again till Toph had left the room and the door had been closed behind her. "Is there anything else that you wish to add to...lady Toph's account of what has happened."

Aang lowered his head back to the marble floor. "Only that I do know who the jade bandit is, that they know where the emerald is. Also that I will deal with it." There was a forcefulness in Aang's voice that the king hadn't heard since he had been arguing with Toph over what to do with Long Feng and he had spoke up to end it. There was no denying that he meant every world he said.

"I am glad to hear that." The king seemed to lean further back into his throne now. "I have the utmost faith in lady Toph as an earthbender, however I cant fully trust her. There is something about her. She always seems to be holding something back."

Aang was nodding his head slightly at this. There was no denying that what the king was saying was the truth, he felt more or less the same thing himself. "I know what you mean." He quickly realised that he had said that out loud, and lowered his head further.

"Well..." The king kindly choose to move on, back to the matter at hand. "I want you to deal with this. Rest for the remainder of the day. Then you should leave to catch up with them tomorrow. Will you be able to do that." Aang nodded again. With Appa he would, if he had to, be able to catch up with a person on foot. Even if they had a days head start. "Good." The king now leaned forward, his dark eyes set on Aang's. "I want you to end this once and for all."

"I will." Aang didn't nod this time or bow as he left. He turned simply turned and walked towards the large metal doors. He wasn't sure exactly how he was going to deal with it, only that he had to. He started to walk towards the stairs that would lead to the floor that his and Toph's rooms where on, but he walked past them and continued along the corridor. He knew that he would have to talk to her soon, and he did want to. He just needed a little time to clear his head. Get rid of some of the anger he still felt. He had to be calm and rational when he spoke to her. If he spoke to her now, he would just end up getting wound up again and probably they would start yelling to. This was an important conversion, that had to happen when they were both in the right frame of mind. That was not now. In truth he didn't know if he would ever be in the right frame of mind to hear about how someone that he trusted had lied to him and manipulated everyone to do what they wanted.

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**Thank you for reading, hope you like it. There are going to be three more chapters to this part of the story, then onto the next one. The next chapter will be shortish. It was meant to be a part of this chapter, but as I said in the last chapter I have changed the splitting on the chapters a little, so the 100th chapter will be a good one. Thanks again, and please review. **


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm so so so so, sorry that it has taken so long again for me to up-date. I had more problems with me laptop. They are sorted now, I got a new one. So there should be no more long gaps in between the chapters. I would also like to thank you for the reviews. I have also up-dated my profile, for the first time. I have put in the links to outfits and objects from the story on there. So please check them out once you have read the chapter and let me know what you think. **

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Aang walked the corridors of the palace, with no real direction. Except that he didn't want to go onto the top floor where his room was. Toph's room was on the same floor his, and he worried that she would be watching out from him, so she could ask what he and the earth king had talked about when she was sent away. He almost set himself on course towards the back doors that led out into the grounds of the palace. He was put off this course as he felt the footsteps of a maid, he guessed about to turn into the corridor he was walking along. He didn't want to be around anyone right now. Not even people that he had never spoken to before. He was still very unsure what his next more would be. He had said, almost promised that he would deal with the jade bandit. He as sure of that, he just didn't know how. Till he did, he would stay always from them, everyone. Giving him time to think more clearly.

In avoiding the maid, ha turned in to a small side staircase. He stopped, stood still at the bottom of the stairs. This was the first time he had stopped walking since he turned to walk away from the earth king. He looked up at the stairs. They curved round, making the top impossible to see. He knew where they would lead though. This was one of the the manly side staircases only used by the staff of the palace, so they wouldn't be seen by the guests. This particular staircase went up to the floor he and Toph where staying on. Then opened onto the corridor just five doors up from his room.

After a letting out a loud sigh, heightened by the echo of the hollow stone staircase, he took his first step up the stairs. He couldn't avoid this forever. He would have to see her, talk to her again. If there was one thing that he learned from her, that would always stay with him, it was that sometimes you have to face things head one. Now he wasn't going to go to her room now, but he wasn't going to keep going out of his way to avoid her either. When he reached the top of the stairs he quietly opened the door, and peered out into the corridor. It was empty. He let the door go as he stepped back, shaking his head slightly and berating himself for being so stupid.

As he stepped out onto the corridor and walked towards his room, he could hear his boots pounding on the stone floor. He wondered if his footsteps had made this much noise the whole time. He passed the room Lady Shou had been staying in. The door was opened fully, the lock had been taken off to be fixed. He glanced in and saw the room was empty of any personal possessions. He assumed that Lady Shou had ask, demanded a new room. She wasn't meant to leave for two more days anyway, and she didn't seem like the kind of person to call a trip off early.

He was about to pass the alcove that he and Toph had hidden in so they could hear her banging on the door and yelling for help, when a small yet strong hand grabbed hold of his right arm, just above the chain wound around his wrist. He was pulled into the alcove, and when he was standing in place again, he was looking right into a pair of large faded jade green eyes.

Toph took a small step back, but held onto his arm. She had changed into a cream dress, in the same style as the one she had worn to the banquet the other night. Her hair was pulled into a lose bun, with a few strands of long black hair falling free. There was a look in her eyes that he had never seen from her before. She looked genuinely worried. His eyes lowered so he didn't have to look at her eyes any more. As they fell, He saw the bruise on her neck, a little faded now and the top of a bandage peaking out from the line of her dress on the back of her right shoulder, where he burned her. If he hadn't seen the look in her eyes first, he would have thought that she had dresses like this for effect. To show him how he had already hurt her.

"What did you say." Her voice was so low, he had to strain himself to hear it.

He now choose to look completely away from her, out into the corridor and through the window opposite the alcove they where once again hiding in. "I said I would deal with the jade bandit myself, and I will." He glanced back at her as he caught sight of her slightly nodding her head at this. Her hold on his arm now left him, as her arm fell to her side. Not that that had been what had kept him standing in the same place anyway.

Her head now tilted back a little, touching the way behind her, with the crown of her head. While she did this she let out a low breath. She must have been waiting here for him since she had changed. He wasn't sure how long that would have been. Despite himself he felt a little guilty at having made her wait here like this for so long. This so unlike the Toph that he knew. She was quite and timid in her movements, like she was afraid to make any movement at all.

"What did he say."

It seemed like she could also only mange to get out one short sentence at a time. Aang had been about to step out of the alcove when she spoke again. He turned back to face her. He did this a little to fast and found himself standing almost right in-front of her, looking down on the top of her head. She almost as quickly took as big a step as she could backwards. She was already only an inch or so from the wall, so she found herself right up against the wall. He hands twitched a little, ready to move. She knew it was utterly ridiculous, but couldn't shake the fear that Aang would get more angry with her and lash out at her. Raise his hands and try and chock her, like Changpu had done, leaving a dark bruise behind as evidence. Off all the lies and manipulation she had done to Aang over the last few days, letting him think that he had caused the bruise on her neck was the one she regretted the most, and most wanted to take back. All the others she felt she was acting with the best of intention, but that one she couldn't justify.

Aang was still looking over her head. He hadn't realised how tall he had gotten till now. "He said he wants me to put an end to the jade bandit once and for all."

He noticed her tense up. If the wall hadn't been directly behind her, she would have fallen back onto it once she relaxed a little. Her eyes were now larger then they had been before, a feat he didn't think was possible. Her breathing was strained. After letting out a sigh, she briefly bit her bottom lip for a second, before giving what could be seen as a subtle nod of her head. It was like she had been confused, panicked now she had made up her mind about something.

She bent over, and slowly lifted up the bottom of her dress. Aang was about to say something, walk away, when he noticed why she was doing this. Attached to her lower thigh was a garter that she had her dagger tied to. She quickly pulled the dagger free, as not to give herself the chance to change her mind. She pulled herself back up, letting the dress fall back into place. She turned the dagger round in her hand, so she was holding the blade very lightly. Very slowly, but purposefully she held the handle out to Aang.

"Do you understand what he was asking yo to do." Another question, this time he didn't know what to say. "He was asking you to kill the jade bandit, me."

The dagger was now held out to him only a few inches away. His hand slowly lifted towards it. Toph was doing her best to remain as steady as possible, but Aang could see the slight shake of her hand. His hand calmly wrapped around the silver handle. Then slid around so his palm was pushed against the bottom of the handle. Just as slowly as he had done everything else he pushed the dagger away from him and back towards Toph. The handle came to rest at the centre of her collar bone.

"I'am not going to kill you." There was pure shock in his voice that she had suggested such a thing.

Her mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. He moved to walk away. She caught his right arm again, stopping him. This time she took hold of the chain. She held his hand for a few seconds, then let him go. As she had moved away, the chain fell to the ground, causing a loud crush that echoed through the alcove and the down the corridor. Like Toph before he opened his mouth to speak, thank you maybe, but nothing came out. He turned away then walked out of the alcove.

Toph instinctively took a step after him, but stopped herself from going any further. She then leaned back against the wall. She knew that it had been a risk ambushing him like this, but one she had to take. Things hadn't gone as badly as she had expected. She had imagined yelling and screaming, and herself powerless to say anything or yelling back making it all worse. She tried to shake off the feeling of tension, but she couldn't. She had never felt like this before. Not when her father had treated her like a doll, or when no one would listen to her. She didn't now why this was any different. She had done what she had always done, what she thought was right damn the consequences. She didn't have any doubt that what she had done was the right thing. The only thing that she could think was any different about this situation was that she had lied and used a friend, that she hurt someone that she in her own way cared about and she guessed cared about her. Why else would he have put up with her for so long, when he didn't need her to teach him earthbending any more.

Aang wanted to run from the alcove to his room, but forced himself to walk at a steady pace. He reached his door, took hold of the door handle in his hand and froze. He stood there from a few seconds, trying to fight the urge to look back over at the alcove. He lost the fight. As he turned he saw the back of Toph as she walked away from the alcove, walking in the direction he had come from. He assumed she was now going to be the one to wonder the palace aimlessly. The patter of her bare feet on the cold hard floor as she walked away, still with a slight limp from her right leg her back to him was like a pounding in his head. He unfrozen opened the door and slammed hit behind him. The sound of the slamming door caused Toph to jump a little. She took a second to calm herself before she started to walk down the stairs.

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**Thank you for reading. Hope you liked it. I promise the next chapter will explain everything in this part of the story. With that in mind I would like to know if there is anything that you feel has to be explained more clearly, or anything that doesn't make any sense. Please let me know, so I cam explain them in the next chapter. Also please remember the links on my profile. I would love to know what you think of them too, are they they way she imagined them to be from the story. thank you. **


	16. Chapter 16

The sun had began to set. Dinner had been served in the smaller dinning hall, the dishes had been cleaned and put away. The maids had turned down the beds for their guest. All of this had happened and Aang had still not left this room. Some food had been brought to him, but he had eaten none of it. He paced the room thinking over all the events of the day. It seemed life a whole season since he had woke up to find Toph gone and himself chained to the headboard of a bed. It felt like everything had changed. The thing that he couldn't get out of his head was Toph handing him her dagger, asking him to kill her. No she hadn't asked him to kill her. She had understood what the earth king had asked of him better than he had, and she had given him the opportunity to carry out his orders. Did she really think that he would have taken that opportunity. There was no way that he would hurt a friend or anyone on purpose, unless he was provoked first. He had always thought this about himself, but now he wondered. He had bent a fire ball at her, when her back was turned. He could try and argue that he didn't know it was her for sure, but that was a lie. She had given him enough provocation though, hadn't she. She lied to him, used him. If that wasn't striking the first blow then he didn't know what else it was.

He needed to talk to her, really talk to her. He needed to hear from her all that had happened. What she had done. Focusing he tried to feel her footsteps or heartbeat from her room, but he felt nothing. She wasn't in her room, she had gone again. Like before Aang had a good idea where she would have gone. He walked over to the half open window, opened it fully and leaned out. There where no guards patrolling this part of the palace at this time luckily. Bending a stream of air to wined around him, like a tornado he lifted out of the room and into the air. He bent the air stream higher, till he was level with the roof of the palace. He bent himself over the roof a few feet before dropping himself onto a flat area of the roof.

The roof was made of dark green tiles. Around the edgers they slopped upwards. In the centre the stopped, and the roof was flat stone. He turned to look out over the city, as the lights of street lamps and houses where lit up. His room over looked the ground of the palace, he hadn't really seen this view of the city in almost six years now, when he was thirteen.

A few feet in-front of him sat Toph. She was sitting on the edge of the flat roof. Her legs where bent and pulled into her chest. Her arms hugging them in tighter. She looked like she as warming herself from the cold night air, with her head resting on her knees, shoulder pulled up. That would be if it was a cold night. The sun was still in the sky giving the last raise of warmth to the city. She knew that he was standing a few feet behind her, watching her, of course she did. She just didn't say anything, or make any movement. She waited for him to speak first.

"Why did you hand me your dagger."

"So you could kill me."

Her answer was so short so simple, for what she was saying, for all that had happened he couldn't believe it. "Why would I kill you."

She lifted her head now, and he was sure he heard her sigh. "You were ordered to kill the jade bandit. I'm the jade bandit..."

"That doesn't mean that I'm going to kill you, or whoever the jade bandit was."

"I know."

"Then why did you do that. Was it some kind of a test."

She tilted her head back a little. Like she was looking up at the stars. "I don't know maybe. The truth is I don't know why I did it." Her head lowered again.

"The truth." Aang was now walking towards her. She still hadn't turned to face him. "Tell me what the truth is. Tell me what has been going on behind my back, all of it." He was now standing by her side.

She was silent for a few seconds, before she lowered her head again. "What do you want to know."

A flash of anger took over Aang. He bent down, grabbed hold of her right arm and pulled her onto her feet. "Stop playing games. I just want the truth, is that so hard for you. I though that you..."

"Shut up." Toph for the first time since they their fight in the desert ended, seemed like her old

self. "I do try and always be honest. There are just times when you have to do whatever it takes..."

"Damn the consequences."

"Yeah." Toph turned away from Aang again, back to face the city. "I'm the jade bandit, I always have been." While she spoke she lowered herself to sit back down on the edge of the flat roof. One leg was pulled back into her chest. The other straightened out in-front of her hanging slightly over the tilted tiles. "I used what I know about the nobles of the earth kingdom to take what they don't need and give it to those that do need it. Those that have had their lives ruined by the war." This he knew was meant to soften him a little, but it didn't work. "Soon those that had a lot asked for me to take things from them, that would go to people they didn't like in their will. Or something like that. Then to give it to people that needed it. I was impressed and surprised by the generosity of some of the better of in the earth kingdom."

Aang found his legs giving out under him. After their fight he had spent most of the rest of the day pacing his room, his legs were tired. He let himself slowly bend down to sit next to her. He crossed his legs underneath himself, but found his left knee touched Toph's right thing, so he slide away from her a little.

"Lord Hong did do as I said. Asked me to take the emerald. I did, then sent it here. To Changpu, he kept it for me till I cam here for the banquet." She felt Aang's shock at this. He believed that she had had no idea that the banquet was in her honer. She had been so shocked when she had been sung to. "I knew about it. I didn't let him tell any of you, I didn't want you there. I wouldn't have gone myself if I didn't have to pick up the emerald."

"Why did you send it here."

"So it would be far away from me, and no one would think I had anything to do with any of this."

"You had it all planned out pretty well. Well done."

For the first time since she had started to explain everything, Toph turned to face Aang. "I did till you came along. Like you always do. I have things clear in my head and then you swoop in and I don't know what I'm meant to do any more." He knew this wasn't just about him showing up at her academy. It was him turning up at her political wedding to Zuko. Before that it was him crashing into her life, changing it all. He had never really looked at all of that from her point of view, it must be very unsettlingly. "I cam here with you. I didn't expect the way the king greeted use. So I wanted to go and see Changpu to make sure everything was still the same as planed. I got you to come, to keep you close. I told him to keep hold of the package, till the jade bandit came for it."

Aang was now turned to face her as well. "So he knew that your..."

"No." She looked like she was going to go one but she stopped herself. After a brief silence she went on, very reluctantly. "Aang, he was learning at me, I could tell. I got angry, shaped at him. He...he grabbed me by the throat. The bruise on my neck. I didn't get from when we fought after we where chained together, I got it from him. You didn't hurt me then."

As he had started to hear what she was saying, angry welled up inside him. He was terrified about what she was going to say, what that creep had done to her. Then he felt hurt, hurt that she would let him think that he had hurt her. Yes he had hurt her earlier that day, but that had been when they were on opposite sides on a real fight, not on either side over a small disagreement. "Why would you le..."

"I'm Sorry. I couldn't tell you the truth. I had to cover my tracks. I couldn't let you ask to many questions."

"What happened then." He turned away from her now. She slowly did the same, facing the city once more. "You know. We were chained together, you read the reports. Then we went to the banquet. Went to see Lady Shou. I left that night, as the jade bandit. I met you."

"I should have known for sure it was you then. Only you could knock someone out with a small rock. What was the jade bandit doing that night."

Toph had noticed that he had never really refereed to the jade bandit was her. It was like he saw them as two different people. Maybe that made it essayer for him. She didn't want to make it harder for him, but the jade bandit and the Toph he knew were one and the same, he had to accept that. "I was picking up the emerald. I hid it in your room yesterday. I figured you wouldn't be going back there while we where chained together. We went to the jasmine..."

"I know the rest., but what were you doing in the desert. Who were..."

"I was delivering the broken emerald to sandbenres that would take it to me academy. From there it will be sent to the village that Lord Hong lived at, by my assistant. The village he wanted to have the emerald. It would be to obvious to give the village the whole emerald, so I bent into little pieces, that can be distributed around the village to everyone."

He could understand this, all of it. He could see why she was doing what she was doing. She had had the best of intentions. Maybe she hadn't gone about it in the right way, but in the end she was doing what she was asked by a dyeing man. That had to count for something. Despite himself he was finding himself feeling guilty about how harsh he had been on her. She maybe wrong about a few things but she didn't deserve to he exposed, or have him being so cold towards her.

"I'm not going to tell anyone. I'm leaving tomorrow, I'll send word in a few days to the earth king that I have dealt with the jade bandit."

A faint smile slowly spread across her face. "Thank you." He turned back to face her again. "I really am sorry about..."

"Stop, I know. I also now how hard that must be for you to say once. I wouldn't want to make you suffer saying it again." He also now had a slight smile on his face.

They sat on the roof, under that stars with the lights of the city spread out in-front of them , in silence for a few minutes. Till Aang choose to break it. "So where am I dropping you off this time, the academy, Oma..."

"What are you taking you about." There was a shock in her voice he hadn't heard before.

"I didn't trust you again. Like before, your hurt and don't want to travel with me any more. so where do you..."

"Don't tell me hoe I feel, or what I'm going to do." Her voice was sounding more like herself now. "I think I figured something out." Aang leaned back a little, ready to listen to what she was going to say

. "We're not as different as we would like to think. You have all this pressure on you. Being the avatar, people look up to you, expect you to have all the right answers. To be an example of fairness. So you can't get involved with things like, war criminals, will disputes. You leave that to people like me. Because I can do what it right,not worrying about what people will think of me because of it. I don't have that kind of pressure on myself. It's not that you don't agree with what I do, you do. You just have to remain impartial."

Aang was taking in all that she said. She made a lot of sense. He could see her point of view, most of the time, but knew that he couldn't do what she did. "Do you think knowing all this, is going to make it simpler for us to get along."

"I don't know. I hope so though." He hadn't expected that. "I won't stop doing what I believe in. I can't, but I will be more understanding of how hard it all is for you. Being the avatar it a hard job, I don't envy you."

The tension that had been between them the whole day had lifted. It was like they were friends again. With a better understanding of each other. That would hopefully lead them to get along better. At the very least have fewer fights.

"So were are we going." Toph spoke in a rushed voice. She was clearly still a little awkward with him. He did admire her forth rightness a little.

"You are the most frustrating, infuriating person I have ever met in my life." once he stopped talking he let out a very low laugh.

Toph laughed a little too. Glad that they were ok again. "You wouldn't have me any other way though, would you."

She felt a little panicked that she had been that light so soon. Aang felt her heart race a little. "No, I don't think I would." He reached out and took hold of her hand closest to him. "You wouldn't change me either though." his heart started to beat very fast now too, realising how close he had gotten. He let her hand go, but gave it a slight squeeze first.

Toph thought of a few comebacks for that. I would change your big ears, make you shorter. She didn't say any of these, not because she knew they weren't true, but because she didn't want to ruin things.

"I was thinking we could go to the southern air temple. I still have to show it to you."

Toph didn't say anything to this either. She gave a slight nod and kept looking out to the city. Wishing a little that she could see it, because Aang's heartbeat was still a little fast from looking at it. It must be very beautiful. She had only know his heart to beats that fast when he was around Katara, and was in love with her.

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**I hope that this chapter explains what has been going on in the story. If there is still anything that is not clear, then please let me ****know. The next chapter will be the last one. It will be much litter than the rest of last few, and lead into the next part. **


	17. Chapter 17

The day was a little cooler than the other days they had spent in Ba Sing Sa. The summer was coming to a end now. The perfect time of year to be going to an air temple, the start of autumn. Aang and Toph where loading their small amount of possessions onto Appa's saddle. Aang was organising thinks in the saddle, with Momo on his shoulder. While Toph was repacking her pack, to fit in the new supplies she was taking with her. Despite the still warm weather they were both dressed in a few more layers than was normally for late summer . Aang wore a white tunic under his robe. Toph wore the same Green Tunic she had worn most of their stay here. This time with a white long sleeved top underneath, and brown trousers tucked into brown boots.

They hadn't spoken very much. They sat on the roof till the sun had fully set. Aang bent them down to his window on a air stream. Toph seemed a little reluctant about this at first, but she never said anything. She just went along with it. They didn't speak as she left his room for hers. She hadn't said anything at breakfast with the earth king. Aang did most of the talking. He told the king that they where going to leave as soon as they were packed, to take care of the jade bandit. As they felt to start packing Aang told Toph his plan. In a few days time he would send word to the earth king to let him know that the jade bandit was dealt with. This meant that Toph could no longer go by that allies. She took this surprisingly well.

"Lady Toph."

Toph had been kneeing down while she repacked her pack, and now lifted her head to face the voice of the person that called to her and was walking towards her. Aang from his perch on Appa's saddle watched the young man a few years older than them getting closer. He recognised him from somewhere, but couldn't place him.

"Lord Toro." That was it, lord Toro. The guy that Toph had spent the majority of the banquet talking too. That was one part of what happened that she hadn't said any more about the other night. He guessed that that was because there was nothing more to say, she had told him all he needed to know about that when they fought about it that night.

Toph pulled herself up as she spoke, and lord Toro reached a spot a little in-front of her. Her open pack in between them.

"How are you." while he waited for an answer, He looked over to Aang. Who quickly turned away. Busying himself with some supplies while he listened in. He wanted to know what they could really have to talk about, now that she didn't need to know how much he knew about the actions of her allies.

"I'm well, You." She was being a little overly polite. She had used his position as having taken over the job of lord Hong, so she owed him at least this civility.

The young lords light brown eyes were now set firmly on Toph. He was no longer distracted by Aang's presence. "Well, thank you. I was hoping that we may be able to have some tea together."

Toph felt her breath catch a little in the back of her throat. She never expected him to ask her something like that. All that Aang had said about him liking her, ending his engagement because of her, came flooding back to her. She had forgotten all of this. Seeing him only as a nice man that was one of the few lords that she could count on to be on her side in meetings. "Um...We're actually just leaving now."

"We." He said this very quietly, but she heard, they both did. Aang moved a little closer to the side of the saddle that over looked the lord and lady. Not wanting to miss the rest of the conversation. "When will you be back." He wasn't sure but Aang was sure he heard Toro but a little emphasis on the saying of the word you.

Toph was silent as she thought about her answer. She lifted her shoulders a little as she finally thought of her answer. "I don't know. Not for a while."

"Ok." Toro took in a deep breath as he averted his gaze from Toph to the ground. "I guess I'll just have to say what I wanted to say now then." His heart was racing and he was fidgeting a lot. Toph was not used to people acting like this when they where talking to her, except if she was trying to intimidate them. Even then they never acted like this.

"Are you ok." she reached out to place a had on his shoulder. This kind of show of affection was still new and a little uncomfortable for her.

He lifted his eyes to look at her again. "Yes, I'm fine honestly. Just a little nervous that's all."

"Nervous." Like him saying we, more to himself then to her, she did the same now. What was coming was making her uncomfortable. Her hand feel from his shoulder now.

"I'm sure you know...that I like you. I like you a lot actually." He was now pulling a very small green velvet bag from his pocket. "I want you to have this."

Toro held the small bag to Toph. Who slowly lifter her hand to take it from him. Just as slowly she opened it, and pulled out a silver bracelet with very intricate engravings on it. The centre pieces of the engravings was a lotus flower. "It's lovely. Really lovely." There was a dreamy guilty in her voice, neither man had heard before. "But I..."

"I know. This kind of gift has an important meaning. This doesn't have to though. It's just a gift, because I care for you. It doesn't have to mean that I am showing my intention to ask you to marry me. Though I would be lying if I said that wasn't where I hoped it would lead. This is a new time, we can make our own traditions, out own meaning."

Despite herself Toph found a smile working its way across her face. She never thought that she would react like this to this kind of conversation. She felt happy. She didn't know why, it was such a girly way to react. It was just what he said. Sure he was being very traditional in giving her a bracelet like this, but he was also open minded. Not stuck in the past. He wasn't like the over lords that she knew at all, or like Aang. He was a balance between the order of the world she knew, and the freedom of the life she had when she was with Aang. She couldn't except the gift in its traditional meaning, but she wanted a little more than what he had said it could be. This realisation shocked her a little.

"Why don't we take it to be a gift, that could mean a lot of things. When we see each other again, we can find out which one it dose mean."

Toro now had a huge grin on his face. Toph had a smaller smile on hers. "I'd like that."

Very quickly before he could change his mind, or she could move. He took a step towards her. One hand rested on top of hers, that held the bracelet. He placed a chased kiss on her right check, before puling away, and walking back into the palace as quickly as he could, while still walking.

Toph stop from a few second in shock, holding the bracelet in her both hands now. Momo who had been on Aang's shoulder the whole time, leaped from his perch onto Toph's shoulder. She tilted her head towards her small furry friend. A little smile still in place on her face. Letting out the breath she had been holding she finally slipped the bracelet around her left wrist. She became aware on the other bracelet she always wore. The one Aang had given her here, in Ba Sing Sa five years ago. She ran her fingers over this bracelet, before she bent down picked up her pack. Then bent a earth platform to take her and Momo to the saddle.

Aang didn't say anything. He walked from the saddle to Appa's head, took up the rains, and they where off. He wasn't sure what he should say. Things were still a little awkward between them. He also wasn't sure what had happened. He knew that lord Toro liked Toph, he was a like impressed that he had had the guts to tell her. It was the way she had reacted to it that he didn't understand. He had heard a story from Zuko of how the duke had given her a gift at Sokka and Suki's wedding. She thanked him,but told him that she didn't feel the same way. He thought that she would have done the same with lord Toro. That was about four years ago though, she had grown up since than. Also the duke was younger than her, Toro was older. Sokka, Jet and Zuko were also older than her, and she had had a crushe, a fling sort off and a very close friendship with all of them,. This made a little sense. He had always thought that Toph would end up with a older man, if she ever choose to settle down with someone. Where did that leave him though.

This thought he pushed away. He was just feeling a little left out, Toph had someone, sort of. Sokka and Suki had a life together, a family. Zuko and Katara where together. He was alone. He had Toph,. But he didn't really have her, have anyone. He reminded himself that he was a monk., first and foremost, before he knew he was the avatar. He had stopped thinking like one when he met Katara. He would just have to go back to thinking like one. It was going to be hard though. After all, all of his friends had settled down, or may do soon. He was also travelling with a pretty girl his own age. She was Toph though, his friend. They would be fine.

He couldn't wait to see the southern air temple again. It had been so long since he had been back, he had avoided going back after the war when he was travelling alone. He didn't think he could face it alone. He wasn't alone now, he had Toph. He felt read to face it again. Deal with his past and finally put it behind him, the guilt and the loss.

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**Important note I have put up links to the outfits and object used in the story on me profile. I have mentioned this before, but have had no feed back. So I would like to know if anyone had used them. If I should keep adding them, or is it a waist of my time, if no one is using them. Than you. **

**Once again thank you very much for the reviews and for reading. I hope you liked this part of the story. I really enjoyed writing it. I am also really looking forward to rewriting the next part. If you have read it already you will know why. If not I hope you will read it as it is up-dated.**


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